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Promontory Culture: The Faunal Evidence, Lindsay Deanne Johansson Jun 2013

Promontory Culture: The Faunal Evidence, Lindsay Deanne Johansson

Theses and Dissertations

Following excavations in the Promontory Caves and at several open sites in the Provo River Delta region, Steward (1937) characterized the Promontory culture as large game hunters. He based this on the high number of bison bones recovered within the Caves. Excavations at additional Promontory sites along the Wasatch Front contain faunal assemblages which differ significantly from those in the caves, showing that people living at open sites relied more heavily on small game, waterfowl, and aquatic resources than large game. These differences have been mostly attributed to Steward's sampling strategy and lack of screening, but faunal material recovered during …

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Motion Artifact Reduction In Impedance Plethysmography Signal, Sardar Ansari Jun 2013

Motion Artifact Reduction In Impedance Plethysmography Signal, Sardar Ansari

Theses and Dissertations

The research related to designing portable monitoring devices for physiological signals has been at its peak in the last decade or two. One of the main obstacles in building such devices is the effect of the subject's movements on the quality of the signal. There have been numerous studies addressing the problem of removing motion artifact from the electrocardiogram (ECG) and photoplethysmography (PPG) signals in the past few years. However, no such study exists for the Impedance Plethysmography (IP) signal. The IP signal can be used to monitor respiration in mobile devices. However, it is very susceptible to motion artifact. …

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A Model For Sensory Neuron Development By Fgf And Notch: A Multifactorial Approach, Jacob Eugene Voelkel Jun 2013

A Model For Sensory Neuron Development By Fgf And Notch: A Multifactorial Approach, Jacob Eugene Voelkel

Theses and Dissertations

The ophthalmic trigeminal placode (opV) exclusively gives rise to sensory neurons. A number of signaling pathways including Wnt, PDGF, FGF, and Notch are all involved in the progression of an undifferentiated cell in the opV placode to a proneural cell in the condensing opV ganglion. However, the regulatory relationships between these signal transduction pathways are still unknown. To determine if FGF activation acts to modulate Notch signaling in the sensory neurogenesis pathway, a novel multifactorial approach was employed: FGF signaling was inhibited in individual cells and globally with simultaneous inactivation of Notch signaling in chick embryos to investigate if FGF …

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A Qualitative Inquiry Into The Treatment Experience Of Adolescent Females In A Relationally Based Therapeutic Boarding School, Douglas S. Marchant Jun 2013

A Qualitative Inquiry Into The Treatment Experience Of Adolescent Females In A Relationally Based Therapeutic Boarding School, Douglas S. Marchant

Theses and Dissertations

Individualism, the assumption that persons are self-contained and primarily act for the sake of the self, is prevalent in American culture and has arguably perpetuated numerous psychological and societal ills. Relationality, the assumption that persons are always and inextricably constituted by relationships, has been posited as a philosophical and practical alternative to individualist culture. Several scholars, both inside and outside of psychology, have developed relational concepts and practices, including some who have elucidated a relational approach to psychotherapy (e.g., Slife and Wiggins, 2009). This study examines the implications and effects of this therapeutic approach, particularly exploring relationality's therapeutic success in …

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The Effect Of Whole Body Vibration On Skin Blood Flow And Nitric Oxide Production, Paula K. Johnson Jun 2013

The Effect Of Whole Body Vibration On Skin Blood Flow And Nitric Oxide Production, Paula K. Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

Background: Vascular dysfunction due to hyperglycemia in individuals with diabetes is a factor contributing to distal symmetric polyneuropathy (DSP). Reactive oxygen species (ROS) reduce the bioavailability of nitric oxide (NO), a powerful vasodilator, resulting in reduced circulation and nerve ischemia. Increases in blood NO concentrations and circulation have been attributed to whole body vibration (WBV). The purpose of this study was to the determine the effects of low frequency, low amplitude WBV on whole blood NO concentration and skin blood flow (SBF) in individuals with symptoms of DSP. Research Design and Methods: Ten subjects with diabetes and impaired sensory perception …

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Concepts Of Divine Action For A Theistic Approach To Psychology, Brent S. Melling Jun 2013

Concepts Of Divine Action For A Theistic Approach To Psychology, Brent S. Melling

Theses and Dissertations

Recent years have seen increased interest in using theism (the perspective that assumes that God is currently actively in the world) as a conceptual framework for scientific inquiry. This interest has built particular momentum in psychology where several scholars have expressed that traditional naturalistic approaches limit understanding and investigation of psychology's subject matter and thus are insufficient to fully account for human phenomena. Others have previously made the case for the consideration of theism as a legitimate alternative basis for psychological theory, research, and practice. This dissertation begins with that consideration and examines what would be required to move a …

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Investigation Of Water-Molecule Complexes And Their Catalytic Effect On Important Atmospheric Reactions, Taylor Scott Cline Jun 2013

Investigation Of Water-Molecule Complexes And Their Catalytic Effect On Important Atmospheric Reactions, Taylor Scott Cline

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation is a collection of works that investigates issues related to environmental chemistry. The first portion of this research explores the role of water vapor on the kinetics of important atmospheric reactions. Work is presented on the self-reaction of β-hydroxyethyl peroxy radical (β-HEP) and the catalytic increase in reaction rate by water vapor. β-HEP serves as a model system for investigating the possible role of water vapor in perturbing the kinetics and product branching ratio of atmospheric reactions of other alkyl peroxy radicals. The self-reaction rate coefficient of β-HEP was investigated between 276-296 K with 1.0 × 10^15 to …

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The Bromus Tectorum-Pyrenophora Semeniperda Pathosystem, Heather Finch Jun 2013

The Bromus Tectorum-Pyrenophora Semeniperda Pathosystem, Heather Finch

Theses and Dissertations

Variable mortality of Pyrenophora semeniperda--infected Bromus tectorum seeds has been referred to as a "race for survival", stating that seeds that germinate quickly are more likely to escape pathogen-caused mortality. Dormancy status is not the only variable determining outcomes within the Bromus-Pyrenophora pathosystem. Varying temperature and exposure to water may strongly influence germination outcomes of B. tectorum when in the presence of P. semeniperda. Low water potentials characteristic of semi-arid soils are often over-looked in the context of seed pathogens, and are ecologically relevant- especially for plant species that inhabit intermittently dry environments. To adequately characterize the Bromus tectorum-Pyrenophora semeniperda …

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Inverted Sequence Identification In Diploid Genomic Scaffold Assembly Via Weighted Max-Cut Reduction, Paul Mark Bodily Jun 2013

Inverted Sequence Identification In Diploid Genomic Scaffold Assembly Via Weighted Max-Cut Reduction, Paul Mark Bodily

Theses and Dissertations

Virtually all genome assemblers to date are designed for use with data from haploid or homozygous diploid genomes. Their use on heterozygous genomic datasets generally results in highly-fragmented, error-prone assemblies, owing to the violation of assumptions during both the contigging and scaffolding phases. Of the two phases, scaffolding is more particularly impacted and algorithms to facilitate the scaffolding of heterozygous data are lacking. We present a stand-alone scaffolding algorithm, ScaffoldScaffolder, designed specifically for scaffolding diploid genomes. A fundamental step in the scaffolding phase is the assignment of sequence orientations to contigs within scaffolds. Deciding such an assignment in the presence …

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Stability And Change In Women's Personality Across The Life Course, Carly D. Lebaron Jun 2013

Stability And Change In Women's Personality Across The Life Course, Carly D. Lebaron

Theses and Dissertations

The current study sought to examine change and stability of personality in a sample of women over the course of 35 years. Existing research is mixed regarding whether or not personality changes over time or whether it remains stable. Using a sample of 187 women tracked over four time points (approximately 10 years between each time point), change and stability in openness to experience, extraversion, and neuroticism was tested using a stacked multilevel growth curve analysis. Four life course events (transition to parenthood, change in marital status, wife entering or leaving the workforce, and husband retiring) were added as predictors …

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Effectiveness Of Visual Aids On Preventive Dental Goals, Kristin Hodgson Jun 2013

Effectiveness Of Visual Aids On Preventive Dental Goals, Kristin Hodgson

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: To assess a caregiver’s oral health attitudes, habits, and behaviors pre and post intervention, and to determine whether a particular delivery-style (verbal-only or with visual supplementation) of a motivational interviewing session is more effective in improving oral health behaviors as well as improving success of a chosen preventive goal. Methods: N=140 caregivers of pediatric dental patients were given questionnaires to assess readiness to change and current preventive oral health behaviors. Oral health education was communicated in a MI style (verbal-only or with visual supplementation). One preventive oral health goal was selected to focus on. The home preventive behavior survey …

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Cannabinoids Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) And Cp55,940 Ablate Specific Chemokine And Cytokine Inflammatory Response In Bv-2 Mouse Microglial Cells Activated With Hiv-1 Pro-Inflammatory Protein Tat, Rebecca Maddux Jun 2013

Cannabinoids Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Thc) And Cp55,940 Ablate Specific Chemokine And Cytokine Inflammatory Response In Bv-2 Mouse Microglial Cells Activated With Hiv-1 Pro-Inflammatory Protein Tat, Rebecca Maddux

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the widespread use of Highly Active Anti-retroviral Therapy (HAART) to combat Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), the causative agent of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), HIV-Associated Neurocognitive Disorders (HANDs) still remain a dire issue. HIV can enter the brain through infected monocytes and infect microglia, the resident macrophages within that compartment. Due to its pro-inflammatory properties, HIV regulatory protein Tat (Transactivating protein) may play a role in the progression of neurocognitive disorders. The aim of this project was to determine whether the select cannabinoids THC and CP55,940 could ablate the inflammatory response on BV-2 mouse microglia cells caused by Tat. Within …

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Academic Advising: A Study Of The Impact Of Academic Advising On Student Satisfaction, Stephanie Easterday Jun 2013

Academic Advising: A Study Of The Impact Of Academic Advising On Student Satisfaction, Stephanie Easterday

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if Rowan University undergraduate students are satisfied with the academic advising services being provided to them by the Center for Academic Advising and Exploration (CAAdE). The study investigated topics discussed between student and advisor, student's satisfaction with advising assistance, and student's impressions with their advisor. The Survey of Academic Advising, developed by American College Testing (ACT), was distributed to Rowan undergraduate students advised by the CAAdE center during spring of 2013. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the completed data using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) computer software. The study …

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Family Matters: Operationalization Of Intergenerational Educational Background, Elizabeth Warnick Jun 2013

Family Matters: Operationalization Of Intergenerational Educational Background, Elizabeth Warnick

Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to replicate and extend Roksa and Potter's (2011) analysis of the association between intergenerational family background and academic outcomes by utilizing the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 to examine alternative methods for operationalizing maternal educational background. Results indicate a positive association between maternal upward mobility and adolescent academic achievement. Measures of mobility affect adolescent achievement even when controlling for both mother's and maternal grandmother's educational attainment. Future research should examine the differential impact of extreme mobility, specifically downward mobility, on adolescent academic outcomes.

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Identification Of Multiple Levels Of Trauma Induced Coagulopathy, Jason Newton Jun 2013

Identification Of Multiple Levels Of Trauma Induced Coagulopathy, Jason Newton

Theses and Dissertations

Trauma continues to be a major cause of death across the globe. While the exact causes of trauma differ greatly between the military and civilian lifestyles, the ability to stop bleeding after trauma is paramount for survival. Over the past decade coagulation research has transitioned from a classical understanding of plasma based protein coagulation to the current cell focused research. As part of this shift, platelets have become a central player in hemostasis. Unfortunately little is currently understood about how platelet function is affected by trauma. In an effort to better define platelet function during trauma and the resulting shock …

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Exploration Of The Low-Molecular Weight Proteome Of Tissue And Serum, With Applications To Disease Biomarker Discovery, Meihwa Tanielle Alvarez Jun 2013

Exploration Of The Low-Molecular Weight Proteome Of Tissue And Serum, With Applications To Disease Biomarker Discovery, Meihwa Tanielle Alvarez

Theses and Dissertations

The low-molecular weight proteome is of great interest due to the vast number of smaller proteins and peptides present within it, some of which are likely to be disease-related and may provide insights into disease mechanisms or even prediction and diagnosis. Serum is often the most preferred specimen for disease prediction or diagnosis, as it can be obtained less-invasively and its collection is fairly routine in a clinical setting. Although serum samples are one of the most preferred specimens for disease studies, additional disease information may also be obtained using other specimens, such as tissue. The study of tissue specimens …

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Reconceiving A Necessary Evil: Teaching A Transferable Fyc Research Paper, Samuel James Dunn Jun 2013

Reconceiving A Necessary Evil: Teaching A Transferable Fyc Research Paper, Samuel James Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

The place of the research paper in first-year composition (FYC) courses is often debated in composition forums. Many argue that the a-disciplinary nature of FYC doesn't allow instructors to teach the research paper in a way that will be transferable to disciplinary writing tasks, while others say that it is possible, as long as we have a thorough understanding of the kinds of writing tasks students will face in the disciplines and specifically teach writing skills that will be transferable. To identify these more generalizable writing skills to be emphasized, I interviewed 14 professors at Brigham Young University from different …

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A Systems Biology Approach For Understanding Inflammation In The Gastrointestinal Tract Of A Crohn’S Patient, Gigi Meyer Jun 2013

A Systems Biology Approach For Understanding Inflammation In The Gastrointestinal Tract Of A Crohn’S Patient, Gigi Meyer

Theses and Dissertations

A system of ordinary differential equations is developed to model the effect of fatty acids on chronic intestinal inflammation that is typical of a Crohn’s patient. Several murine studies have shown an anti-inflammatory response when specific polyunsaturated fatty acids are included regularly in the diet. It is believed that the fatty acids serve as a specific ligand that activates the Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor (PPAR) which is located on multiple cell types that are active in the inflammatory response. The binding of the PPAR results in a suppression of the inflammatory pathway. Results of the model indicate a muted inflammatory …

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Modelling Infertility With Markov Chains, Rebecca Dorff Jun 2013

Modelling Infertility With Markov Chains, Rebecca Dorff

Theses and Dissertations

Infertility affects approximately 15% of couples. Testing and interventions are costly, in time, money, and emotional energy. This paper will discuss using Markov decision and multi-armed bandit processes to identify a systematic approach of interventions that will lead to the desired baby while minimizing costs.

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Improving Implicit Learning And Explicit Instruction Of Adult And Child Learners Of Chinese, Li-Hui Kuo Jun 2013

Improving Implicit Learning And Explicit Instruction Of Adult And Child Learners Of Chinese, Li-Hui Kuo

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored the main effects and interaction effects of implicit learning and explicit instructional approaches on the language acquisition of beginning adult and child learners of Chinese and analyzed the successful adult and child learners' learning styles in their information processing time, second language acquisition techniques, and cognitive strategies. Volunteers from Brigham Young University and Wasatch Elementary School were randomly assigned to either an Explicit Instruction Treatment (EIT) or an Implicit Learning Treatment (ILT). Following the treatment, the participants completed an online survey and a vocabulary application test. Results from a 2 x 2 factorial ANOVA indicated that adults …

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Kierkegaard And A Pedagogy Of Liminality, Sylvia Mcmillan Jun 2013

Kierkegaard And A Pedagogy Of Liminality, Sylvia Mcmillan

Theses and Dissertations

There is a strain of curriculum theory especially since the reconceptionalist movement that applies existential philosophy to educational issues and questions. There is also a related branch of curriculum theory that looks especially at existentialist theology to cast light on curriculum issues from a more religious slant. Both of these strains of analysis are rooted in Kierkegaard, the father of existentialism and existential theology (Huebner, 1999; Tillich, 1948). The educational implications of the works of Kierkegaard are a subject that has been virtually unexamined in either educational or Kierkegaardian scholarship except by two scholars whose works are already 40 years …

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Client Experiencing In Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Eating Disorders, James William Vandyke Jun 2013

Client Experiencing In Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment For Eating Disorders, James William Vandyke

Theses and Dissertations

Depth of client experiencing has been associated with positive therapeutic outcomes across theoretical orientations. Experiencing describes a particular mode of cognitive-affective processing in which clients use internal felt experience as the basis for self-examination and the resolution of personally significant issues. Given evidence that eating disorders are associated with particular disruptions of cognitive-affective processing, it is likely that experiencing plays a role in the successful treatment of eating pathology. However, no study to date has examined the relationship between experiencing and outcome in eating disorder treatment. The purposes of the current study were to examine depth of client experiencing during …

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The Effect Of Anterior Knee Pain On Serum Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein And Muscular Cocontraction During Running, Scott T. Woodland Jun 2013

The Effect Of Anterior Knee Pain On Serum Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein And Muscular Cocontraction During Running, Scott T. Woodland

Theses and Dissertations

Knee pain can alter lower-extremity neuromechanics and often results in functional disability. The relationship between lower-extremity neuromechanical alterations, due to anterior knee pain, and articular cartilage condition is unclear. The purpose of this study was to determine the independent effect of anterior knee pain during running on articular cartilage condition, as reflected by serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein concentrations and muscle cocontraction duration. Seven men and five women completed a 30-min run in three different sessions: control (no infusion), sham (isotonic saline infusion), and pain (hypertonic saline infusion). Saline was infused into the right infrapatellar fat pad for the duration …

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Brain Structures Associated With Temperament And Social Behavior In Rhesus Monkeys: An Mri Study, Andrew C. Chaffin Jun 2013

Brain Structures Associated With Temperament And Social Behavior In Rhesus Monkeys: An Mri Study, Andrew C. Chaffin

Theses and Dissertations

Temperament is thought to be the foundation for normative personality and subsequent behaviors later in life. To assess the relationship of early temperament with variation in structural brain development, this study examined rhesus macaque mother-infant behavior, and then three years later, used MRI to assess neurostructural differences. Individual differences in mother-infant interactions and emotionality were then linked to brain differences. Extensive behavioral data obtained over the first year of life under both resting and stressful conditions was used to assess the quality of mother-infant interactions and emotionality. The MRI focused on brain volume in areas thought to be related to …

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Emotional Involvement With Grandparents As A Key Component Of Prosocial Development: Testing Empathic Concern As A Mediator, Kathryn Leigh Bunnell Gustafson Jun 2013

Emotional Involvement With Grandparents As A Key Component Of Prosocial Development: Testing Empathic Concern As A Mediator, Kathryn Leigh Bunnell Gustafson

Theses and Dissertations

Current research shows that grandparents have made significant contributions to at-risk families. However, few studies have examined the benefits of grandparenting in non-at-risk populations. This study considered whether emotional involvement with a grandparent is associated with prosocial behavior in adolescent grandchildren and examines the mediating role of empathy and perspective taking. A longitudinal sample of 500 participants were taken from waves two thru five of the Flourishing Families Project (FFP) and used to construct a latent growth curve model. Results indicate that emotional involvement with a grandparent was positively linked with initial levels of prosocial behavior in grandchildren. Furthermore, results …

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The Effects Of Emotion On Acoustic Characteristics Of Vocal Vibrato In Trained Singers, Sharee Oakes Holmes Jun 2013

The Effects Of Emotion On Acoustic Characteristics Of Vocal Vibrato In Trained Singers, Sharee Oakes Holmes

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of emotion on several key acoustic features of vibrato including vibrato rate, extent, and steadiness (measured by FM rate COV and FM extent COV). We hypothesized that intensity of emotion would have a significant effect on vibrato rate, extent, and periodicity, although the direction of these changes was undetermined. There were 10 participants, including eight females and two males, who were graduate student singers with high competency ratings. Each participant completed a series of tasks including sustained vowels at several pitch and loudness levels, an assigned song that was determined …

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Exploring The Narrative-Oriented Qualities Of The Learner's Encounter With Unfamiliarity, Jonathan S. Spackman Jun 2013

Exploring The Narrative-Oriented Qualities Of The Learner's Encounter With Unfamiliarity, Jonathan S. Spackman

Theses and Dissertations

Learning, as embodied familiarization, is described as an embodied, non-representational, and non-mechanistic experience. Within this theoretical framework, a qualitative study is presented that offers a deeper understanding of the learner's encounter with unfamiliarity -- a key lived experience of embodied familiarization. Assertions related to encounters with unfamiliarity are made through a multiple case study analysis and a deeper understanding of the assertions is offered by way of a narrative-oriented framework. From this perspective, agentive, concernful, dispositional and meaningful aspects of learning are discernible.

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Miniaturized Electrostatic Ion Beam Trap Mass Analyzer, Junting Wang Jun 2013

Miniaturized Electrostatic Ion Beam Trap Mass Analyzer, Junting Wang

Theses and Dissertations

The electrostatic ion beam trap (EIBT) was designed by D. Zajfman during the previous decade. This ion trap combines many properties of the Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) mass analyzer and time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzer. There are several advantages for the electrostatic ion beam trap. First, large mass-to-charge particles in an electrostatic field could be easier to analyze. Second, there is a folded flight path, which could make the mass analyzer smaller compared to conventional TOF mass analyzer. This principle of operation of this ion trap is analogous to an optical resonator. The ions are trapped in a voltage valley …

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Applied Hypergame Theory For Network Defense, Alan S. Gibson Jun 2013

Applied Hypergame Theory For Network Defense, Alan S. Gibson

Theses and Dissertations

Cyber operations are the most important aspect of military conflicts in the 21st century, but unfortunately they are also among the least understood. The continual battle for network dominance between attackers and defenders is considered to be a complex game. Hypergame theory is an extension of game theory that addresses the kind of games where misperception exists, as is often the case in military engagements. Hypergame theory, like game theory, uses a game model to determine strategy selection, but goes beyond game theory by examining subgames that exist within the full game. The inclusion of misperception and misinformation in the …

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Kernel Extended Real-Valued Negative Selection Algorithm (Kernsa), Brett A . Smith Jun 2013

Kernel Extended Real-Valued Negative Selection Algorithm (Kernsa), Brett A . Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Artificial Immune Systems (AISs) are a type of statistical Machine Learning (ML) algorithm based on the Biological Immune System (BIS) applied to classification problems. Inspired by increased performance in other ML algorithms when combined with kernel methods, this research explores using kernel methods as the distance measure for a specific AIS algorithm, the Real-valued Negative Selection Algorithm (RNSA). This research also demonstrates that the hard binary decision from the traditional RNSA can be relaxed to a continuous output, while maintaining the ability to map back to the original RNSA decision boundary if necessary. Continuous output is used in this research …

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