Digital Commons Network^™

Knot Intervals And Multi-Degree Splines, Thomas W. Sederberg, Jianmin Zheng, Xiaowen Song

Faculty Publications

This paper studies the merits of using knot interval notation for B-spline curves, and presents formulae in terms of knot intervals for common B-spline operations such as knot insertion, differentiation, and degree elevation. Using knot interval notation, the paper introduces MD-splines, which are B-spline-like curves that are comprised of polynomial segments of various degrees (MD stands for \multi-degree"). MD-splines are a generalization of B-spline curves in that if all curve segments in an MD-spline have the same degree, it reduces to a B-spline curve. The paper focuses on MD-splines of degree 1, 2, and 3, as well as degree 1 …

Simplifying Ocr Neural Networks With Oracle Learning, Tony R. Martinez, Joshua Menke

Faculty Publications

Often the best model to solve a real world problem is relatively complex. The following presents oracle learning, a method using a larger model as an oracle to train a smaller model on unlabeled data in order to obtain (1) a simpler acceptable model and (2) improved results over standard training methods on a similarly sized smaller model. In particular, this paper looks at oracle learning as applied to multi-layer perceptrons trained using standard backpropagation. For optical character recognition, oracle learning results in an 11.40% average decrease in error over direct training while maintaining 98.95% of the initial oracle accuracy.

A Noise Filtering Method Using Neural Networks, Tony R. Martinez, Xinchuan Zeng

Faculty Publications

During the data collecting and labeling process it is possible for noise to be introduced into a data set. As a result, the quality of the data set degrades and experiments and inferences derived from the data set become less reliable. In this paper we present an algorithm, called ANR (automatic noise reduction), as a filtering mechanism to identify and remove noisy data items whose classes have been mislabeled. The underlying mechanism behind ANR is based on a framework of multi-layer artificial neural networks. ANR assigns each data item a soft class label in the form of a class probability …

Yscat Backscatter Distributions, Benjamin E. Barrowes

Theses and Dissertations

YSCAT is a unique ultrawideband microwave scatterometer developed to investigate the sea surface under a variety of environmental and radar parameters. The YSCAT94 experiment consisted of a six month deployment on the WAVES research tower operated by the Canada Center for inland Waters (CCIW). Over 3500 hours of data were collected at 2Γ 3.05Γ 5.3Γ 10.02Γ and 14 GHz and at a variety of wind speeds, relative azimuth angles, and incidence angle.

A low wind speed "rolloff" of the normalized radar cross section (σ°) in YSCAT94 data is found and quantified. The rolloff wind speedΓ γΓ is estimated through regression …

Uncertainties In Oceanic Microwave Remote Sensing: The Radar Footprint, The Wind-Backscatter Relationship, And The Measurement Probability Density Function, Paul E. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Oceanic microwave remote sensing provides the data necessary for the estimation of significant geophysical parameters such as the near-surface vector wind. To obtain accurate estimates, a precise understanding of the measurements is critical. This work clarifies and quantifies specific uncertainties in the scattered power measured by an active radar instrument.

While there are many sources of uncertainty in remote sensing measurements, this work concentrates on three significant, yet largely unstudied effects. With a theoretical derivation of the backscatter from an ocean-like surface, results from this dissertation demonstrate that the backscatter decays with surface roughness with two distinct modes of behavior, …

Microstructure Sensitive Design Of An Orthotropic Plate Subjected To Tensile Load, Brent L. Adams, Mark Lyons, Joshua R. Houskamp, Surya R. Kalidindi

Faculty Publications

Financial support for this work was provided by the Army Research Office, Proposal No. 42566-MS, Dr. David Stepp, Program Director and Army Research Lab, Dr. Scott Schoenfeld, Point of Contact. Microstructure Sensitive Design (MSD) is a newly developed mathematical framework that facilitates rigorous solutions to inverse problems in microstructure design of materials. In this paper, this methodology is applied to an orthotropic thin plate containing a circular hole subjected to an in-plane uniaxial tensile load. The primary design objective is to maximize the load carrying capacity of the plate while avoiding plastic deformation in the plate. Making use of the …

Model-Based Human-Centered Task Automation: A Case Study In Acc System Design, Michael A. Goodrich, Erwin R. Boer

Faculty Publications

Engineers, business managers, and governments are increasingly aware of the importance and difficulty of integrating technology and humans. The presence of technology can enhance human comfort, efficiency, and safety, but the absence of human factors analysis can lead to uncomfortable, inefficient, and unsafe systems. Systematic human-centered design requires a basic understanding of how humans generate and manage tasks. A very useful model of human behavior generation can be obtained by recognizing the task-specific role of mental models in not only guiding execution of skills but also managing initiation and termination of these skills. By identifying the human operator’s mental models …

Decay Of Trapped-Particle Asymmetry Modes In Non-Neutral Plasmas In A Malmberg-Penning Trap, Grant W. Mason

Faculty Publications

The mechanism for the strong damping of diocotron-like azimuthal trapped-particle asymmetry modes in a Malmberg-Penning trap is investigated with a detailed three-dimensional particle-in-cell computer simulation. The m = 1,kzis not equal to 0 modes are created by a voltage squeeze from a mid-detector ring followed by a displacement of trapped particles in opposite directions on either side of the ring. The voltage squeeze creates a population of particles confined to half the trap length (trapped) and a population of particles that move longitudinally along the full length of the cylinder (untrapped). The damping of the modes is found to be …

Enabling Remote Access To Personal Electronic Medical Records, James K. Archibald, Eric S. Hall, Charles D. Knutson, David K. Vawdrey

Faculty Publications

Millions of people suffer from medical conditions that should be made known to healthcare practitioners prior to treatment. Paramedics and emergency room doctors cannot provide optimal care without sufficient knowledge of a patient’s medical history. Lacking patient information such as allergies, current prescriptions, and preexisting conditions, medical professionals are often forced to either delay treatment or rely on instincts. Medical mistakes in situations like these kill thousands of people and cost an estimated US$37 billion each year in the United States [1]. With the advent of electronic medical records (EMRs), patient information can be stored in computer databases at hospitals …

Concurrently Learning Neural Nets: Encouraging Optimal Behavior In Cooperative Reinforcement Learning Systems, Nancy Fulda, Dan A. Ventura

Faculty Publications

Reinforcement learning agents interacting in a common environment often fail to converge to optimal system behaviors even when the individual goals of the agents are fully compatible. Claus and Boutilier have demonstrated that the use of joint action learning helps to overcome these difficulties for Q-learning systems. This paper studies an application of joint action learning to systems of neural networks. Neural networks are a desirable candidate for such augmentations for two reasons: (1) they may be able to generalize more effectively than Q-learners, and (2) the network topology used may improve the scalability of joint action learning to systems …

Macroinvertebrate Community Structure And Related Environmental Variables In Two Forks Of The Virgin River, Utah, Terence P. Boyle, Matthew J. Strand

Western North American Naturalist

Using multivariate analysis techniques, we analyzed variation in the structure of the benthic macroinvertebrate community in the North Fork and East Fork of the Virgin River in and above Zion National Park in concert with a number of naturally occurring and anthropogenic environmental variables. Correspondence analysis revealed that the community structure in the 2 streams was markedly different despite occurring in areas similar in topography, elevation, and terrestrial vegetation cover. Subsequent analyses of the 2 streams separately using canonical correspondence analysis to test for strength of association of environmental variables with variations in benthic macroinvertebrate community structure revealed that communities …

Toward A Better Understanding Of The Comparatively High Prostate Cancer Incidence Rates In Utah, Ray M. Merrill, Sterling C. Hilton, Jared D. Sturgeon, Charles L. Wiggins

Faculty Publications

This study assesses whether comparatively high prostate cancer incidence rates among white men in Utah represent higher rates among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS or Mormons), who comprise about 70% of the state's male population, and considers the potential influence screening has on these rates. Methods: Analyses are based on 14,693 histologically confirmed invasive prostate cancer cases among men aged 50 years and older identified through the Utah Cancer Registry between 1985 and 1999. Cancer records were linked to LDS Church membership records to determine LDS status. Poisson regression was used to derive rate …

Optically Oriented And Detected Electron Spin Resonance In A Lightly Doped N-Gaas Layer, John S. Colton, T. A. Kennedy, A. S. Bracker, D. Gammon, J. B. Miller

Faculty Publications

Spin resonance of localized electrons bound to donors in a specially designed n-GaAs layer has been performed at 236 MHz and 41 mT, using circular polarized light to polarize the electrons and photoluminescence to detect the electronic polarization. The polarization was diminished under the resonance condition. The electronic g factor obtained by this measurement is - 0.41 ± 0.01. The resonance linewidth of 2 mT corresponds to a spin lifetime of 28 ns. In order to observe the electronic spin resonance, nuclear effects were eliminated by application of rf fields to simultaneously resonate the nuclear spins.

Protecting Sensitive Credential Content During Trust Negotiation, Ryan D. Jarvis

Theses and Dissertations

Keeping sensitive information private in a public world is a common concern to users of digital credentials. A digital credential may contain sensitive attributes certifying characteristics about its owner. X.509v3, the most widely used certificate standard, includes support for certificate extensions that make it possible to bind multiple attributes to a public key contained in the certificate. This feature, although convenient, potentially exploits the certificate holder's private information contained in the certificate. There are currently no privacy considerations in place to protect the disclosure of attributes in a certificate. This thesis focuses on protecting sensitive credential content during trust negotiation …

Reconstruction Of The Temperature Profile Along A Blackbody Optical Fiber Thermometer, David Gary Barker

Theses and Dissertations

A blackbody optical fiber thermometer consists of an optical fiber whose sensing tip is given a metallic coating. The sensing tip of the fiber forms an isothermal cavity, and the emission from this cavity is approximately equal to the emission from a blackbody. Standard two-color optical fiber thermometry involves measuring the spectral intensity at the end of the fiber at two wavelengths. The temperature at the sensing tip of the fiber can then be inferred using Planck's law and the ratio of the spectral intensities. If, however, the length of the optical fiber is exposed to elevated temperatures, erroneous temperature …

Family And Career Decision-Making Among Lds Women At Brigham Young University, Jennifer M. Vigil, Bonnie Ballif-Spanvill, Rebecca R. Nichols

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

This study explores how college-aged women who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) make decisions about choosing a career or staying home full-time. It examines how committed they are to multiple role planning, what influence their mothers have on their decision-making process, how much they know about the roles they will assume in the future, how certain they are about choosing these roles, and how involved they are in the decision-making process itself. The LDS Decision-Making (LDSDM) scale was answered by 149 junior and senior women at Brigham Young University. Four factors were found …

Modes In A Non-Neutral Plasma Of Finite Length, M = 0,1, S. Neil Rasband, Ross L. Spencer

Faculty Publications

For realistic, cold equilibria of finite length representing a pure electron plasma confined in a cylindrical Malmberg–Penning trap, the mode spectrum for Trivelpiece–Gould, m=0, and for diocotron, m=1, modes is calculated numerically. A novel method involving finite elements is used to successfully compute eigenfrequencies and eigenfunctions for plasma equilibria shaped like pancakes, cigars, long cylinders, and all things in between. Mostly sharp-boundary density configurations are considered but also included in this study are diffuse density profiles including ones with peaks off axis leading to instabilities. In all cases the focus has been on elucidating the role of finite length in …

Insights Into The Mind And Personality Of The Prophet Joseph Smith, Donald Q. Cannon

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

An Analysis Of The Influence Of Lesson Study On Preservice Secondary Mathematics Teachers' View Of Self-As Mathematics Expert, Julie Stafford

Theses and Dissertations

This research seeks to investigate the influence of lesson study on preservice secondary mathematics teachers' view of self as mathematics expert. The study acknowledges the commonly held belief that prospective mathematics teachers have that they know and understand secondary mathematics. The purpose in engaging the preservice teachers in lesson study is to dislodge this belief. In particular, this research report focuses on one preservice teacher and her experiences during lesson study. Using the data collected, the researcher reports on the baseline beliefs that the preservice teacher held toward her knowledge of secondary mathematics, her mathematical experiences during the actual lesson …

Sandwich Theorem And Calculation Of The Theta Function For Several Graphs, Marcia Ling Riddle

Theses and Dissertations

This paper includes some basic ideas about the computation of a function theta(G), the theta number of a graph G, which is known as the Lovasz number of G. theta(G^c) lies between two hard-to-compute graph numbers omega(G), the size of the largest lique in a graph G, and chi(G), the minimum number of colors need to properly color the vertices of G. Lovasz and Grotschel called this the "Sandwich Theorem". Donald E. Knuth gives four additional definitions of theta, theta_1, theta_2, theta_3, theta_4 and proves that they are all equal.

First I am going to describe the proof of the …

Inverse Multiplexing In Short-Range Multi-Transport Wireless Communications, Lichen Dai, Heidi R. Duffin, James C. Funk, Charles D. Knutson

Faculty Publications

This paper describes a mechanism for utilizing Inverse Multiplexing to significantly increase the bandwidth available to short-range wireless devices. Previous work with Inverse Multiplexing has focused on wired networks; its implementation with short-range wireless transports introduces heterogeneity in the links, which must be taken into account. A mathematical model for an Inverse Multiplexing system is derived for several scheduling algorithms. Both Process Limited and Transport Limited systems are examined. The validity of this model is shown by our implementation of an Inverse Multiplexing layer that uses IrDA and Bluetooth transports. Concepts related to Inverse Multiplexing such as usage models, negotiation, …

Transport Discovery In Wireless Multi-Transport Environments, Shannon B. Barnes, Charles D. Knutson, Ryan W. Woodings

Faculty Publications

In order to utilize multiple transports, devices must discover common mechanisms for communication, a procedure we call Multi-Transport Discovery. The Multi-Transport Discovery algorithm presented in this paper is a four-phase procedure (Transport Probing, Transport Querying, Address-to-Device Mapping, and Transport Accessibility) that can discover common transports within a multi-transport environment. Transport Probing uses a transport-dependent device discovery mechanism to discover an initial link. Transport Querying communicates over the probed link to query additional transports. Address-to-Device Mapping correctly correlates each transport to a remote device. Finally, Transport Accessibility periodically ascertains link availability during an application session.

Channel Probing For An Indoor Wireless Communications Channel, Brandon Hunter

Theses and Dissertations

The statistics of the amplitude, time and angle of arrival of multipaths in an indoor environment are all necessary components of multipath models used to simulate the performance of spatial diversity in receive antenna configurations. The model presented by Saleh and Valenzuela, was added to by Spencer et. al., and included all three of these parameters for a 7 GHz channel. A system was built to measure these multipath parameters at 2.4 GHz for multiple locations in an indoor environment. Another system was built to measure the angle of transmission for a 6 GHz channel. The addition of this parameter …

An Investigation Of Compliant Over-Running Ratchet And Pawl Clutches, Gregory Mark Roach

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes that compliant mechanism theory can be used to design over-running ratchet and pawl clutches with reduced part count, lower assembly and manufacturing time while maintaining functionality. An extension of the theory to the micro regime is also briefly addressed. The results of the research show that the ratchet and pawl type of over-running clutch is a good choice for the use of compliance, and the clutch pawls should be loaded in compression to get the largest amount of output torque. It was found that com-pliant mechanism theory can be used to design ratchet and pawl clutches with …

Gaussian And Mean Curvatures Of Rational Bézier Patches, Thomas W. Sederberg, Jianmin Zheng

Faculty Publications

This note derives formulae for Gaussian and mean curvatures for tensor-product and triangular rational Bézier patches in terms of the respective control meshes. These formulae provide more geometric intuition than the generic formulae from differential geometry.

Ontology-Based Extraction Of Rdf Data From The World Wide Web, Timothy Adam Chartrand

Theses and Dissertations

The simplicity and proliferation of the World Wide Web (WWW) has taken the availability of information to an unprecedented level. The next generation of the Web, the Semantic Web, seeks to make information more usable by machines by introducing a more rigorous structure based on ontologies. One hinderance to the Semantic Web is the lack of existing semantically marked-up data. Until there is a critical mass of Semantic Web data, few people will develop and use Semantic Web applications. This project helps promote the Semantic Web by providing content. We apply existing information-extraction techniques, in particular, the BYU ontologybased data-extraction …

Advances In Experimental Method And Analysis For Estimation Of Geometrically-Necessary Dislocations, Brent L. Adams, Bassem S. El-Dasher, Anthony D. Rollett

Faculty Publications

The authors wish to thank The Alcoa Technical Research Center for supplying the specimens and performing the compression tests. This work was supported by the MRSEC program of the National Science Foundation under DMR-0079996 as well as Lawrence Livermore Laboratory DOE/DoD Joint Program. An behavior of grain boundaries of the polycrystalline materials over a wide range of length scales during plastic deformation is considered. Electron backscattering diffraction and orientation imaging microscopy provide automated scanning measurements of the lattice orientation near grain boundaries. These methods are useful to set the necessary length scales. The data are presented for directionally-solidified pure Al …

Density Of States Simulations Of Proteins, Nitin Rathore, Thomas A. Knotts Iv, Juan J. De Pablo

Faculty Publications

A modified version of a recently introduced algorithm that calculates density of states by performing a random walk in energy space has been proposed and implemented to study protein folding in a continuum. A united atom representation and the CHARMM19 [B. R. Brooks, R. E. Bruccoleri, B. D. Olafson, D. J. States, S. Swaminathan, and M. Karplus, J. Comput. Chem. 4, 187 (1983)] force field are employed for these simulations. This method permits estimation of the density of states of a protein via a random walk in the energy space, thereby allowing the system to escape from local free-energy minima …

What The Universe Means To People Like Me, David D. Allred

Faculty Publications

When I picked up David's paper to read it, I had a pencil in my hand. Years of reading my students' and my own papers made it natural to edit as I read. However, I heard in my mind the voice of my mother advising me to put the pencil down. This wasn't time to edit but to hear and understand. Still, I kept the pencil in my hand for the first few pages and made a few notes before I put it down and just read. I could hear David's voice speaking the words I read. It was good …

Satisficing Applied To Simulated Soccer, Jay Packard

Theses and Dissertations

Satisficing was introduced by the economist Herbert Simon to allow for decisions that are "good enough" when there are insufficient computational resources and knowledge to obtain the optimal outcome. Autonomous multi-agent systems often require such decision making because of the complexity and unknown factors present in such an environment. Satisficing has been extended significantly by Wynn Stirling. Through extended satisficing, he has departed from conventional approaches to autonomous multi-agent systems, based as they usually are on the assumption that each participant is motivated exclusively by its own self interest, and will therefore attempt to maximize its benefit, regardless of the …