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Kir2.1 Effects On Craniofacial And Limb Development In Knockout Mice, Joy Williams, Dr. Emily Bates Apr 2014

Kir2.1 Effects On Craniofacial And Limb Development In Knockout Mice, Joy Williams, Dr. Emily Bates

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Birth defects arise because of both genetic and environmental factors. Children with genetic alteration of the inwardly-rectifying potassium ion channel Kir2.1 channel have heart arrhythmias, impaired cognitive function, and facial and limb abnormalities. Children that suffer from Fetal Alcohol Syndrome have cognitive and social development problems, heart defects, and facial abnormalities—including small eyes, small head, small upper jaw, and a small upper lip1. Kir2.1 is bound and blocked by alcohol2 and thus we predicted that it is the molecular target of Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. We designed experiments to determine how Kir2.1 is required during development and found that within 14 …

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The Use Of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (Aat) In The Downregulation Of Nuclear Factor Kappa-Light-Chain-Enhancer Of Activated B Cells (Nf-Κb) As A Treatment For Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids), Aaron Mcbride, Dr. Gregory F. Burton Apr 2014

The Use Of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin (Aat) In The Downregulation Of Nuclear Factor Kappa-Light-Chain-Enhancer Of Activated B Cells (Nf-Κb) As A Treatment For Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (Aids), Aaron Mcbride, Dr. Gregory F. Burton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Current Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) treatment is greatly hindered due to viral reservoirs throughout the body prolonging and perpetuating infection.i Large stores of HIV exist in the follicular dendritic cell (FDC) microenvironment, located primarily in the lymph nodes and spleen. Free-floating virus has a half-life of less than two hours; however, FDC-trapped virus has a half-life of over eight weeks and can be rescued in its infectious state longer than nine months after the initial infection,ii showing the role of FDCs as an HIV reservoir.iii Studies in the Gregory Burton laboratory focus on the interactions between HIV, FDCs, and CD4+ …

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Structure Of The Phlp1-Gβ-Cct Complex Reveals A Molecular Mechanism For Gprotein Β Subunit Folding And Βγ Dimer Assembly, Devon Blake, Dr. Barry Willardson Apr 2014

Structure Of The Phlp1-Gβ-Cct Complex Reveals A Molecular Mechanism For Gprotein Β Subunit Folding And Βγ Dimer Assembly, Devon Blake, Dr. Barry Willardson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Cells detect and respond to a myriad of extracellular signals via seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors and their associated G protein signaling pathways. The pathway is initiated by the binding of a signaling molecule, such as a hormone or neurotransmitter, to its binding site on the extracellular side of the receptor. This interaction activates the G protein heterotrimer, composed of Gβ, Gβ, and Gβ subunits, which functions by propagating the signal throughout the cell. First, however, the G protein heterotrimer must be assembled from its nascent polypeptides. The initial step in this process is the formation of the Gβγ dimer. Gβγ …

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Splicing Of Chicken Cyclooxygenase-2, Matthew Lelegren Apr 2014

Splicing Of Chicken Cyclooxygenase-2, Matthew Lelegren

Journal of Undergraduate Research

As described in the proposal, my goal was to further understand the mechanisms of mRNA processing of the chicken gene called Cyclooxygenase (COX)-2. There are many mechanisms by which mRNA molecules are modified in order to produce proteins that fulfill the needs of a given cell. The mechanism I chose to study was called alternative splicing, a process through which sequences are removed from the mRNA thereby altering the structure and function of the protein to be translated from its sequence. In brief summary splicing mechanisms, the cells possess machinery that recognize certain sequences, called splice sites, as a guide …

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Development Of A Surface Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect Magnetometer, Susan Stoffer Sorensen, Dr. Karine Chesnel Apr 2014

Development Of A Surface Magneto-Optic Kerr Effect Magnetometer, Susan Stoffer Sorensen, Dr. Karine Chesnel

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The Kerr effect is a phenomenon in which as polarized visible light reflects off of a magnetized surface it experiences a small rotation in polarization. This is known as the Kerr rotation, denoted Δθ. This rotation is proportional to the magnetization of the sample, to a first-order approximation (Δθ∝M). The surface magneto-optic Kerr effect (SMOKE) is a subset of the Kerr effect which probes the magnetization of the surface of the sample. Since the samples measured by our SMOKE apparatus are as thin as 10 nm to 100 nm the surface magnetization equals the total magnetization. These samples can be …

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Quasigroup Structures Arising From Partial Latin Squares, William Cocke, Dr. Rodney Forcade Apr 2014

Quasigroup Structures Arising From Partial Latin Squares, William Cocke, Dr. Rodney Forcade

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Latin squares represent one of the oldest elements of modern algebra, despite being over- shadowed by the structurally superior subclass of nite groups. Every nite group generates a Latin square, an n by n grid wherein n distinct element appear exactly once in each row and column. This grid is a Latin square

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Calculating Groundwater Recharge: The Navajo Sandstone Of Southern Utah, Matthew Olson, Dr. Greg Carling Apr 2014

Calculating Groundwater Recharge: The Navajo Sandstone Of Southern Utah, Matthew Olson, Dr. Greg Carling

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Southern Utah is world renowned for its beautiful canyons and red rock features. The Navajo Sandstone, an Early Jurassic formation created by 2000 feet of petrified sand dunes, is one of the primary features of this unique landscape. Groundwater in the Navajo Sandstone is important for sustaining life in arid southern Utah communities and ensuring recreational usability for state and national parks. Springs that discharge from the Navajo Sandstone aquifer in Zion National Park are a primary source of water to the Virgin River, which provides water for a number of towns in arid southern Utah (Christensen et al., 2005). …

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An Improved Temperature Index Model For Alpine Glaciers Using Derived Degree-Day Factors From Climatic Inputs, Durban G. Keeler, Dr. Summer Rupper Apr 2014

An Improved Temperature Index Model For Alpine Glaciers Using Derived Degree-Day Factors From Climatic Inputs, Durban G. Keeler, Dr. Summer Rupper

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Glaciers represent one of the most climatically sensitive and dynamic systems under study, and therefore have diverse implications for nations around the world. For example, Switzerland generates 56% of its power from hydroelectric facilities, many of them fed by glacial meltwater (SFOE, 2012). Many nations in the Himalayas are at risk of catastrophic flooding as glacial melt rates increase (Rupper et al., 2012). Attempts to comprehend past glacial changes can help us better understand modern changes in climate. The study of glacial melt rates over time therefore has potential regional and global significance.

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Superparamagnetic Behavior Of Magnetite Nanoparticles: Preparation And Characterization, Matea Trevino, Dr. Karine Chesnel Apr 2014

Superparamagnetic Behavior Of Magnetite Nanoparticles: Preparation And Characterization, Matea Trevino, Dr. Karine Chesnel

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles have the unique ability of being superparamagnetic. When no field is applied to the nanoparticles, the nanoparticles’ assembly has a net magnetization of zero, meaning that the nanoparticles’ magnetic moments align in random positions leading to a net magnetization of zero. When a field is applied, the particles’ magnetic moments align with the magnetic field. This is considered superparamagnetic because this is looked at on the nanometer (nm) scale and not the atomic scale. Being able to understand this phenomenon will open up many doors in technology and medical usage. Nanocrystals, such as Fe3O4 particles, are good …

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Femtosecond Frequency Comb Lock, Daniel Thrasher, Dr. Scott Bergeson Apr 2014

Femtosecond Frequency Comb Lock, Daniel Thrasher, Dr. Scott Bergeson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Laser frequency control is imperative for cold atom experimentation. In our lab we use finely tuned lasers to optically cool and trap calcium atoms. Our ability to successfully trap atoms is highly dependent on the stability of the lasers we use to cool them. After trapping the atoms we use more finely tuned lasers to reveal how cold the atoms are and how quickly they leave our trap. Previous to this work our lasers were limited to 20 MHz precision. By installing a femtosecond laser as a standard by which to stabilize the other lasers in our experiment we successfully …

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Dynamics Of Multi-Spin Systems : Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert Model And Ferromagnetic Pattern Formation, Soyoung Jung, Dr. Manuel Berrondo Apr 2014

Dynamics Of Multi-Spin Systems : Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert Model And Ferromagnetic Pattern Formation, Soyoung Jung, Dr. Manuel Berrondo

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Modeling has been an important part of many fields of research. Even though it sometimes could be considered to be non-practical, it has sharpened the questions and has been a useful tool for experimental research to understand what is being observed in the laboratory. Likewise, the Heisenberg model constitutes an essential stepping stone to understand anti/ferromagnetism in magnetic materials. We have been able to develop a spin model using Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation enhanced with anisotropy and long range interaction that is comparable to experimental results.

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Virtual Pedigree: Genealogy Without Borders, Ryan Cheatham, Dr. William A. Barrett Apr 2014

Virtual Pedigree: Genealogy Without Borders, Ryan Cheatham, Dr. William A. Barrett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Genealogists across the world face a unique and challenging problem. They attempt to sort through obscure historical data in order to find information about their ancestors, then they have to keep track of all the data they have found in an organized way. In today’s information age, viewing all this data should be simple and intuitive and provide easy access to research opportunities.

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Estrogen Signaling In Migraine Pathogenesis, Sarah Bahr, Dr. Emily Bates Apr 2014

Estrogen Signaling In Migraine Pathogenesis, Sarah Bahr, Dr. Emily Bates

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Migraine is a disorder that can include aura, headache, nausea, and hypersensitivity to all sensory modalities. It affects over thirty million people in the US. Migraines affect men and women equally until puberty, but overall migraines affect 3x more women than men. They also increase in frequency and severity during periods of estrogen fluctuation and often subside after menopause. Moreover, hormone supplements and birth control can affect migraine patterns. These correlations of migraine episodes to the menstrual cycle and increased pain sensitivity in response to estrogen suggest that differences in estrogen signaling contribute to migraine. We hypothesized that estrogen receptor …

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Acetylation Of Sod1 As A Regulator Of The Tumor Stress Response, Matthew Whited, Dr. Joshua L. Andersen Apr 2014

Acetylation Of Sod1 As A Regulator Of The Tumor Stress Response, Matthew Whited, Dr. Joshua L. Andersen

Journal of Undergraduate Research

In cancer patients, a lack of cell apoptosis (programmed cell death) coupled with increased levels of cell proliferation leads to the formation of a tumor. Among the available treatment options, cytotoxic chemotherapy is the most common. The primary purpose of this treatment is to induce tumor cell apoptosis. In many cases, tumor cells develop chemoresistance, rendering chemotherapy ineffective as a method to activate apoptosis. Understanding the mechanisms that lead to chemoresistance is a critical step toward developing methods to increase the effectiveness of chemotherapy treatments.

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Termediator-Ii: Identification Of Interdisciplinary Term Ambiguity Through Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, Owen G. Riley Apr 2014

Termediator-Ii: Identification Of Interdisciplinary Term Ambiguity Through Hierarchical Cluster Analysis, Owen G. Riley

Theses and Dissertations

Technical disciplines are evolving rapidly leading to changes in their associated vocabularies. Confusion in interdisciplinary communication occurs due to this evolving terminology. Two causes of confusion are multiple definitions (overloaded terms) and synonymous terms. The formal names for these two problems are polysemy and synonymy. Termediator-I, a web application built on top of a collection of glossaries, uses definition count as a measure of term confusion. This tool was an attempt to identify confusing cross-disciplinary terms. As more glossaries were added to the collection, this measure became ineffective. This thesis provides a measure of term polysemy. Term polysemy is effectively …

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Geomorphic Mapping And In Situ Analysis Of Avalanches On Loafer Mountain, Kimball Hansen, Dr. Matthew Bekker Apr 2014

Geomorphic Mapping And In Situ Analysis Of Avalanches On Loafer Mountain, Kimball Hansen, Dr. Matthew Bekker

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The goal of this project was continue the previous avalanche chronology of Loafer Mountain that my mentor professor started and had me finish in 2011. We wanted to incorporate using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) which could help us find better results for our avalanche chronology. By using a GIS we can map our samples and thus provide a more in-depth analysis of the avalanche path by providing the width and magnitude.

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Religious Balance In The Middle East: A Study On How Geography Influences Christian Tolerance In The Jordan State, Conor Fishback, Dr. Chad Emmett Apr 2014

Religious Balance In The Middle East: A Study On How Geography Influences Christian Tolerance In The Jordan State, Conor Fishback, Dr. Chad Emmett

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Recently three of Jordan’s neighboring states: Israel, Iraq, and Syria have experienced different types of large scale violence within their country. Jordan has remained relatively stable with no major violent conflicts. On October 21st 2012, the Jordanian Government announced that it had foiled a terrorist plot involving 11 Jordanians seeking to target Western interests in Amman. Even though Jordan is near the heart of the Muslim world, it has been targeted by terrorists, as if it was a Western state. This study analyzed the level of tolerance to the Christian faith inside a Muslim state according to the location of …

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Can Uncorrelated Shocks Generate Aggregate Autocorrelation?: Business Cycle Persistence In A Model With Endogenous Growth And Fluctuations, Chase Coleman, Dr. Kerk Phillips Apr 2014

Can Uncorrelated Shocks Generate Aggregate Autocorrelation?: Business Cycle Persistence In A Model With Endogenous Growth And Fluctuations, Chase Coleman, Dr. Kerk Phillips

Journal of Undergraduate Research

My project pertained to a field of macroeconomics known as Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) modeling. DSGE modeling is where an economist builds a model based in economic theory and associates a series of mathematic equations that describe this theory with the model. The key element that makes it more than just algebra is the dynamic feature incorporated with the stochastic element. In order to solve the majority of DSGE models a computer is necessary. Following the simulations, one typically compares the statistical moments that your model returns with those of the economy which you are attempting to simulate.

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Stability Of N=6 Normal And Right-Angled Kaleidocycles Under The Influence Of Energy Elements, Brett Rowberry, Dr. Larry Howell Apr 2014

Stability Of N=6 Normal And Right-Angled Kaleidocycles Under The Influence Of Energy Elements, Brett Rowberry, Dr. Larry Howell

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Normal and right-angled n=6 kaleidocycles are structures composed of six tetrahedra. They are capable of continuous rotation while only requiring 240° of rotation on each joint between adjacent tetrahedra. Because of this fact, kaleidocycles may be made fully compliant with no moving parts. Having continuous rotation in a monolithic fully compliant structure is rare, if not unique. One consequence of having compliant joints is that as they are flexed from their unstrained positions, energy is stored. As the kaleidocycle is rotated, energy is stored and released from each of the joints in a complex manner. The purpose of this research …

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A Sequential Grid, Relaxation Method For Use In Oil Reservoir Simulation, Brian Stimpson, Dr. Hugh Hales Apr 2014

A Sequential Grid, Relaxation Method For Use In Oil Reservoir Simulation, Brian Stimpson, Dr. Hugh Hales

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The demand for petroleum products has never been higher, despite the opposition and environmental skepticism that has been present against the petroleum industry in recent years. This requires the production of petroleum products to increase. However, as politics and nature will have it, the waning supply of petroleum is becoming ever more difficult to access and tap into. To make sure we are using our reserves in the best possible ways, this industry must adapt, create better technology, and have careful planning and predictions.

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Advanced Measuring Techniques Of Ionic And Electronic Conductivities In Battery Electrodes, Joshua Flygare, Dr. Dean Wheeler Apr 2014

Advanced Measuring Techniques Of Ionic And Electronic Conductivities In Battery Electrodes, Joshua Flygare, Dr. Dean Wheeler

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Introduction: There are many significant barriers still to be overcome before chemical storage becomes satisfactory. One of the most significant issues is how much the electrodes vary in their electronic and ionic conductivities. Both of these issues are highly complex. My funding was used to help me learn the basic mathematics and physics that occur inside of batteries. I used this understanding to make two models, one using COMSOL multiphysics, and another cruder model using Excel. The most significant change made in my execution from my original proposal was I used all of my time in understanding and making models, …

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Using Head-¬‐Mounted Displays To Teach Deaf Students In Planetariums, Holly Mumford Apr 2014

Using Head-¬‐Mounted Displays To Teach Deaf Students In Planetariums, Holly Mumford

Journal of Undergraduate Research

During the Summer of 2012 we were able to conduct preliminary tests of HMD’s with deaf children ages 7-­‐17. Many of these were volunteers from EFY. Each subject watched a prepared video segment on the Earth, Sun and Moon, from Evans & Sutherland. They were accompanied by a translator, and ASL fluent facilitators and tech specialists. After these sessions were completed the subjects participated in a group discussion. We gained good insight and positive feedback. Once these sessions were finished I helped develop the coding system we would use in evaluating the videos, and analyzed the results.

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Increasing User Password Strength By Introducing Group Dynamics, Lee J. Hinkle, Arthur Weagle, Spencer Bean Apr 2014

Increasing User Password Strength By Introducing Group Dynamics, Lee J. Hinkle, Arthur Weagle, Spencer Bean

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Password strength is an issue of growing concern.

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Synthesis And Purification Of The Glycosphingolipid Csa-13, Tyler Olsen, Dr. Paul Savage Apr 2014

Synthesis And Purification Of The Glycosphingolipid Csa-13, Tyler Olsen, Dr. Paul Savage

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The need for novel antibiotic mechanisms is prevalent. Common antimicrobial medicines such as penicillin, ampicillin and vancomycin have started becoming obsolete as resistant strains of bacteria become more widespread. The main problem with antibiotics is the rapid mutations that bacteria undergo. Eventually one cell will develop resistance, and then have that mutation selected for as patients undergo antibiotic therapy. Bacteria are rapidly changing to combat the many new antibiotic variants that have come out.

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Follicular Dendritic Cells And Activation Of T Cells Bearing Latent Hiv, Jared Huber, Dr. Gregory F. Burton Apr 2014

Follicular Dendritic Cells And Activation Of T Cells Bearing Latent Hiv, Jared Huber, Dr. Gregory F. Burton

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Determine the pathway by which FDC cytokines activate HIV transcription in CD4+ T‐cells harboring latent HIV.

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High-Aspect Ratio Microaccelerometer For Extreme Environments, Adam Konneker, Dr. David Allred Apr 2014

High-Aspect Ratio Microaccelerometer For Extreme Environments, Adam Konneker, Dr. David Allred

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Over the course of the past year, I have had the invaluable opportunity to pursue a research project under the guidance of Dr. David Allred. I am still working on completing the project, but I have made significant progress and gained experience in designing microscale devices. The original goal of my research project was to design and build a microscale acceleration sensor, or accelerometer, capable of operating in extreme environments, which is to say in high temperatures and corrosive atmospheres. This project is one piece of a larger goal, which is to make wireless sensors for extreme environments. Thus far, …

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Biological Pathways In Determining Personalized Treatments, Ariana Hedges, Dr. W. Evan Johnson Apr 2014

Biological Pathways In Determining Personalized Treatments, Ariana Hedges, Dr. W. Evan Johnson

Journal of Undergraduate Research

At the current state of diagnostic capability, two patients with the same cancer diagnosis may respond very differently to the same treatment. Unfortunately, failure to respond to a particular treatment wastes valuable time and may result in disease progression that may be detrimental for the patient. Therefore, diagnoses finely tuned to individual patients would better guide treatment while eliminating the trial and error that is often part of current medical practice.

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Major Earthquakes In Tsunamic Of The Banda Arc Region, Indonesia: The Past 400 Years, Tsz Man Fisher (Lau), Dr. Ronald Harris Apr 2014

Major Earthquakes In Tsunamic Of The Banda Arc Region, Indonesia: The Past 400 Years, Tsz Man Fisher (Lau), Dr. Ronald Harris

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The original project was titled, “Journey to the Center of the Earth: Investigating Subduction Channel Processes in Southern Tibet.” Complications came up when we began to work on this project last summer. With the permission of the ORCA committee, we changed the project into tsunami modeling instead of investigating subduction channel in Tibet.

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Fabrication Of Suspended Graphene Membranes Grown By Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Using Carbon Nanotubes, Caleb Hustedt, Dr. Robert Davis, Dr. Richard Vanfleet Apr 2014

Fabrication Of Suspended Graphene Membranes Grown By Chemical Vapor Deposition (Cvd) Using Carbon Nanotubes, Caleb Hustedt, Dr. Robert Davis, Dr. Richard Vanfleet

Journal of Undergraduate Research

Graphene is an exciting material that stands to have a large impact on the scientific community. Unfortunately, graphene cannot be fully utilized due to its small scale and time consuming production. Graphene grown by chemical vapor deposition solves these issues but comes with a cost of decreased mechanical and electrical properties due to defects. However, the exact properties of CVD graphene are not well quantified. In order to measure the qualities of CVD graphene it must be suspended. Carbon infiltrated carbon nanotube forests were fabricated with holes 2-20um in size. Imaging showed CVD graphene was suspended over up to 50 …

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Attribute Extraction For Web Page Clustering In Web People Searches, Joseph Park, Dr. David Embley Apr 2014

Attribute Extraction For Web Page Clustering In Web People Searches, Joseph Park, Dr. David Embley

Journal of Undergraduate Research

The disambiguation of person names in web people searches is a long standing problem within the semantic search community. A query such as the name “Henry Eyring” would produce thousands of results with references to more than one entity with that same name. In order to mitigate this problem, person-related attributes such as birth dates are extracted and used to group pages that refer to the same entity. The level of confidence that the pages are correctly grouped together is thus directly dependent upon the level of confidence that the person-related attributes were correctly extracted and properly associated to the …

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