Digital Commons Network^™

Machine Learning In Euchre: A Comparison Of Techniques, Michael J. Holmes

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study compares the effectiveness of inductive and analytical learning techniques for a specific type of problem. The set of problems has a large number of parameter combinations as inputs, and a small set of possible output solutions. The card game, Euchre, was the basis for research. Four algorithms were used for comparison. Two were variants of induction using decision tree learning, and the other two used variants of explanation-based learning, an analytical approach. The example data were gathered from human players, along with one set of random, "noisy" data. These data were then used as training sets for the …

Coping Responses Among Aged Home Health Care Clients : A Qualitative Study, Bobbie Kay Grother

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

As people age, they are faced with roles and activities that challenge their intellectual or physical capabilities. People, however, are pragmatic by nature; they seek to use what "works" when faced with predicaments that test their mettle. The purpose of this research has been to understand how aged home health care clients try to maintain valued selves in the face of their declining functional abilities. Data were drawn from qualitative methodological techniques (e.g., participant observation, observational data, and unstructured interviews). In order to provide some structure to this data, a theoretical orientation grounded in symbolic interaction was used in lieu …

A Neutron Diffraction Study Of The Deuterium Site Occupancy In Nd5fe17d15.5, Z. Chu, William B. Yelon, R. K. Murakami, P. S.M. Da Silva, V. Villas-Boas, F. P. Missell

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

The intermetallic compound Nd₅Fe₁₇ has potentially important magnetic properties and is being investigated as a possible permanent magnetic material. As with many other rare-earth transition metal compounds, this phase can absorb significant quantities of H(D) and lesser amounts of N. Gravimetric measurement indicate that ∼14-16H(D) atoms can be absorbed per formula unit leading to roughly a 20% increase in saturation magnetization and Curie temperature. We have carried out powder neutron diffraction studies to determine the location of D atoms in a sample of Nd₅Fe₁₇ containing approximately 15.5D/f.u. The large, complex unit cell of Nd …

Graduate Recital In Voice, Michael J. Jensen

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This abstract presents historical context and musical analysis of the vocal pieces performed in my recital at the University of Northern Iowa, November 28th, 2000. These compositions for the baritone voice by Handel, Schubert, Ives, Mozart, Finzi, and Massenet were chosen to demonstrate technique, versatility, beauty, warmth, expression, and interpretation.

Challenge Problem Update: Peec And Mom Analysis Of A Pc Board With Long Wires Attached, H. Wang, Todd H. Hubing, Bruce Archambeault

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

At the 2000 IEEE International Symposium on EMC, a paper was presented by Y. Ji et al. (paper appears in 2001 proceedings) that compared the application of PEEC and MOM techniques to the analysis of one of the EMC Society/Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society special challenge problems. Good agreement was obtained between the two codes at 2 out of the 3 measurement ports. At that time, no definite explanation was provided for the discrepancy at the third port. This paper shows that the problem was (at least partly) related to assumptions made about the signal source

Reorganizing Web Sites Based On User Access Patterns, Yongjian Fu, Mario Creado, Chunhua Ju

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

In this paper, an approach for reorganizing Web sites based on user access patterns is proposed. The approach consists of three steps: preprocessing, page classification, and site reorganization. In preprocessing, pages on a Web site are processed to create an internal representation of the site, and page access information of its users is extracted from its server log. In page classification, the Web pages on the site are classified into two categories, index pages and content pages, based on the page access information. After the pages are classified, in site reorganization, the Web site is examined to find better ways …

A Committee Of Neural Networks For Automatic Speaker Recognition (Asr) Systems, Viresh Moonasar, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper describes how the results of speaker verification systems can be improved and made robust with the use of a committee of neural networks for pattern recognition rather than the conventional single-network decision system. It illustrates the use of a supervised learning vector quantization neural network as the pattern classifier. Linear predictive coding and cepstral signal processing techniques are utilized to form hybrid feature parameter vectors to combat the effect of decreased recognition success with increased group size (number of speakers to be recognized)

A Novel Morphological Operator To Calculate Euler Number, Zhao Zhang, Randy Hays Moss, William V. Stoecker

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper introduces a novel morphological operator to calculate the Euler number for binary images. The operator is based on the condition of eight-connectedness for foreground and four-connectedness for background. It is significantly faster than the previous operators. The morphological operations used in border detection are discussed

A Parallel Computer-Go Player, Using Hdp Method, Donald C. Wunsch, Xindi Cai

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The game of Go has simple rules to learn but requires complex strategies to play well, and, the conventional tree search algorithm for computer games is not suited for Go program. Thus, the game of Go is an ideal problem domain for machine learning algorithms. This paper examines the performance of a 19x19 computer Go player, using heuristic dynamic programming (HDP) and parallel alpha-beta search. The neural network based Go player learns good Go evaluation functions and wins about 30% of the games in a test series on 19x19 board

A Continually Online Trained Neurocontroller For Excitation And Turbine Control Of A Turbogenerator, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Ronald G. Harley

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

No abstract provided.

A Statistical Solution To A Text Decoding Challenge Problem, Xindi Cai, Rui Xu, Donald C. Wunsch, V. A. Samaranayake

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Given an encoded unknown text message in the form of a three dimensional spatial series generated by the use of four smooth nonlinear functions, we use a method based on simple statistical reasoning to pick up samples for rebuilding the four functions. The estimated functions are then used to decode the sequence. The experimental results show that our method gives a nearly perfect decoding, enabling us to submit a 100% accurate solution to the IJCNN challenge problem

Asia Pacific Perspectives Vol. 1 No. 1, Spring 2001, University Of San Francisco, University Of San Francisco

Asia Pacific Perspectives

Contents:

To Change China: A Tale of Three Reformers by Greg Anderson

The cyclical rising and falling of historical Chinese dynasties has often been punctuated by the emergence of reformers who attempted to bring about improvements and to set the nation on what they believed to be the correct course. This paper examines the lives, motivations, reform programs, and results achieved by three such reformers – Wang Mang of the Han, Wang Anshi of the Song and Zhang Juzheng of the Ming – in an effort to understand the conditions that drove them to reform, and to draw lessons for …

The Dillow’S Ridge Site And The Production Of Mill Creek Chert Tools, Brian M. Butler, Charles R. Cobb

Faculty Publications

The Dillow's Ridge site (11 U635) is a small Mississippian village situated on an unplowed hilltop near the largest known Mill Creek chert quarry in Union County, Illinois. The site was both a permanent residential settlement and a major workshop where Mill Creek chert tools were produced for nonlocal use. Radiocarbon dates document the occupation from the late 1200s A.D. to A.D. 1450 or 1500. The production debris and rejects indicate that the major “export" products were hoes and Ramey knives. Although the quantity of lithic debris on the site is very impressive, estimates of annual production of large biface …

Typographic Legibility For Retinitis Pigmentosa Readers, Carla Benedetti

Masters

Although numerous papers have been written on the subject of legibility, there appears to be a lack of research into the relationship between printed matter and visual impairment in this context. The research aim of this thesis is to conduct a comprehensive study on the reading performance of those suffering from a particular impairment, namely Retinitis Pigmentosa and to identify typographic considerations that would improve this performance. The work confirms the importance of specially designed material and the need for specific guidelines to ensure optimum legibility for particular eye deficiencies.

Springfield Race Riot Of 1908: Preserving A Memory, Amanda Wiesenhofer

Constructing the Past

This article discusses the race riots in Springfield of 1908, specifically focusing on the efforts made to make sure that people remember this incident so it does not get lost in history.

The Teenage Mind - Part 1, David J. Cherrington, Owen J. Cherrington

Faculty Publications

When we see teenagers do things that are seriously wrong or illegal we often ask, “Why did they do such a stupid thing?” “What in the world were they thinking?” In fact, teenagers do many stupid things and sometimes it appears they were not really thinking. But when we examine what goes through their minds it is easier to understand why they sometimes act dishonestly. We also learn that the excuses teenagers make for being dishonest are not much different than the rationalizations used by adults.

Mobile Data Management, Sanjay Kumar Madria, Sourav S. Bhowmick

Computer Science Faculty Research & Creative Works

The management of data in the mobile computing environment offers new challenging problems. Existing software needs to be upgraded to accommodate this environment. To do so, the critical parameters need to be understood and defined. We have surveyed some problems and existing solutions

Design And Installation Of Horizontal Wick Drains For Landslide Stabilization, Paul Michael Santi, C. Dale Elifrits, J. A. Liljegren

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

One of the most effective options to stabilize landslides is to reduce the amount of water they contain by installing horizontal drains. A new type of horizontal drain material, geosynthetic wick drains, and a new installation method, driving drains rather than drilling them, were evaluated. Horizontal wick drains offer several advantages over conventional horizontal drains: They resist clogging, are inexpensive, may be deformed without rupture, and may be installed by unskilled laborers with a minimal investment in equipment. More than 100 drains were installed at eight sites in Missouri, Colorado, and Indiana using bulldozers, backhoes, and standard wick drain-driving cranes. …

Structural, Electronic, And Magnetic Properties Of Lani₅₋ₓtₓ (T = Fe, Mn) Compounds, Jinbo Yang, Chiu-Ying Tai, G. K. Marasinghe, George Daniel Waddill, Oran Allan Pringle, William Joseph James, Y. Kong

Physics Faculty Research & Creative Works

Structures and magnetic properties of the LaNi_5-xFe_x and LaNi_5-xMn_x compounds have been investigated using neutron diffraction and first-principles tight-binding-linear-muffin-tin-orbital methods. Both neutron diffraction refinement data and total energy calculations show that the Fe and Mn atoms preferentially occupy the 3g sites in the hexagonal CaCu₅-type structure. The calculated magnetic moments of Fe and Ni atoms are of 2.4-2.5μ_B and 0.2-0.5μ_B in LaNi_5-xFe_x, respectively. The magnetic structure exhibits more localized moments at Fe atoms in LaNi_5-xFe_x when x ≤ 1.0. Electronic structure calculations indicate …

Experiments On Adaptive Techniques For Host-Based Intrusion Detection, Timothy Draelos, Michael Collins, David Duggan, Edward Thomas, Donald C. Wunsch

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This research explores four experiments of adaptive host-based intrusion detection (ID) techniques in an attempt to develop systems that can detect novel exploits. The technique considered to have the most potential is adaptive critic designs (ACDs) because of their utilization of reinforcement learning, which allows learning exploits that are difficult to pinpoint in sensor data. Preliminary results of ID using an ACD, an Elman recurrent neural network, and a statistical anomaly detection technique demonstrate an ability to learn to distinguish between clean and exploit data. We used the Solaris Basic Security Module (BSM) as a data source and performed considerable …

Dual Heuristic Programming Excitation Neurocontrol For Generators In A Multimachine Power System, Ganesh K. Venayagamoorthy, Donald C. Wunsch, Ronald G. Harley

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

The design of optimal neurocontrollers that replace the conventional automatic voltage regulators for excitation control of turbogenerators in a multimachine power system is presented in this paper. The neurocontroller design is based on dual heuristic programming (DHP), a powerful adaptive critic technique. The feedback variables are completely based on local measurements from the generators. Simulations on a three-machine power system demonstrate that DHP based neurocontrol is much more effective than the conventional PID control for improving dynamic performance and stability of the power grid under small and large disturbances. This paper also shows how to design optimal multiple neurocontrollers for …

Detection And Classification Of Impact-Induced Damage In Composite Plates Using Neural Networks, Rohit Dua, Steve Eugene Watkins, Donald C. Wunsch, K. Chandrashekhara, Farhad Akhavan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Artificial neutral networks (ANN) can be used as an online health monitoring systems (involving damage assessment, fatigue monitoring and delamination detection) for composite structures owing to their inherent fast computing speeds, parallel processing and ability to learn and adapt to the experimental data. The amount of impact-induced strain on a composite structure can be found using strain sensors attached to composite structures. Prior work has shown that strain-based ANN can characterize impact energy on composite plates and that strain signatures can be associated with damage types and severity. This paper reports the extension of this approach for damage classification using …

Volume Management In San Environment, Chang-Soo Kim, Gyoung-Bae Kim, Bum-Joo Shin

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Logical volume managers have long been key components of a storage system. Their key features are creation of logical or virtual views of physical storage devices and support for various software RAID levels. These make it possible to overcome the limits to capacity, availability and performance of a physical storage device. Most logical volume managers are operated in a single system environment. They are not adequate for SAN (storage area network) environments where several hosts share and access a logical volume at the same time. Some recent logical volume managers are run in a multi-host environment. However, they cannot support …

Guides And Specifications For The Use Of Composites In Concrete And Masonry Construction In North America, Antonio Nanni

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper covers the latest developments in the preparation of design guidelines, construction specifications, and inspection and quality control recommendations related to the use of composites in construction. The forms of FRP composites addressed are limited to bars and laminates for reinforcement of concrete and masonry structures (new construction and repair/rehabilitation). FRP bars are being used as the internal reinforcement in concrete members when the conventional steel bars may be undesirable for a host of reasons (e.g., corrosion), and principles for design and construction have been established and proposed to industry by the American Concrete Institute (ACI). Conversely, strengthening of …

Composites In Construction: Present Situation And Priorities For Future Research, Antonio Nanni, Edoardo Cosenza, Gaetano Manfredi, Andrea Prota

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper was written at the conclusion of the International Workshop titled "Composites for Construction: A Reality," held in Capri, Italy, July 20-21, 2001. Its objective is to collect and summarize main ideas, opinions, evaluations, and proposals that emerged during the discussions held by the participants at break-up and general sessions. For simplicity, the reporting follows the order of such sessions and includes elements from the general sessions when applicable. The paper is intended to help professionals and scientists interested in the study and implementation of composites for the built infrastructure by providing a vivid snapshot of the state-of-the-art situation, …

An Investigation Of Cooperative Consciousness-Raising As An Innovative Teaching Practice, And Of Reactions To Its Introduction Into A High School, Sahoby Solo Raharinirina

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The language pedagogy literature stresses the importance of the quality of second/foreign language teaching/learning in learners' acquisition, development of communicative competence, or both. The change literature equally emphasizes the importance of the quality of innovation in change audience’s resolution to reconceptualize current practices and espouse the new practice being advocated. Both literatures underline the need to use multiple research strategies in order to depict the product and process of learning and/or shifting experiences. To contribute to the educational literature in these areas, the present research incorporated two different but interrelated studies.

Study One utilized both between- and within-method approaches (Denzin, …

The Effects Of Individual Factors On Punitive Attitudes Toward Juvenile Offenders, Jennifer Keely Mac Connell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between individual factors and punitive attitudes toward juvenile offenders. The individual factors examined were attributional style, authoritarianism, anxiety, self-esteem, the Five-Factor model of personality, and gender. It was hypothesized that possessing a punitive attributional style, maintaining authoritarian beliefs, and being male would predict punitive attitudes toward adolescent offenders. I also examined the effects of age of the offender and severity of the crime on attributions and punishment decisions. College students (N = 185) at a Midwestern university completed questionnaire packets in partial fulfillment of their introductory psychology course requirements. …

The Coupling Of Biotechnology With Electrochemistry: Electrodenitrification Of Water Using The Enzyme Nitrate Reductase, Cyril Geyer

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Nitrate is a worldwide contaminant that causes environmental (eutrophication) and human health (methemoglobinemia, cancers) concerns. Very few techniques are available to eliminate it from natural environment and they suffer from major drawbacks, such as production of unwanted byproducts (toxins or brine). The electrochemical reduction of nitrate on any electrode is relatively slow and catalysts or electron mediators are needed. The goal of this project was to develop a new process that could overcome these disadvantages. The project demonstrates the feasibility of using an enzyme, nitrate reductase, and a mediator, methyl viologen to transfer the electrons from the electrode to nitrate, …

A Contrastive Cross-Cultural Study Of The Speech Act Of Correction In Egyptian Arabic And American English, Nadir Anis

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

The present study is an empirical cross-cultural investigation of the speech act of correction in Egyptian Arabic and American English. The purpose of the study is to examine how and why Egyptians and U.S. Americans modify the illocutionary force of their corrections in terms of mitigation and aggravation in different speech situations. A Discourse Completion Task/Test (OCT) was used to elicit corrections from 30 Arabic-speaking Egyptians and 30 English-speaking U.S. Americans. All the respondents were either university students or university graduates between the ages of 18 and 35. The six situations used to elicit corrections represented different settings (e.g., classroom, …

A Study Of Important Content For Undergraduate Graphic Communications Programs, Tsung-Yu Hao

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was an investigation of important content for undergraduate graphic communications programs in four-year colleges and universities. The findings of this study can help educational professionals as they design curriculum, equip laboratories, and recruit faculty.

Subject categories and content items were initially identified by a review of literature. These content items were then further refined and rated on level of importance by a panel of experts. Modified subject categories and content items were then sent to the panel a second time for rating. Through this process, 15 subject categories and 68 content items were identified.

A questionnaire was developed …