Digital Commons Network^™

The Use Of A Genetic Algorithm To Evolve Networks For A Natural Language Processing Task, Alexander E. Dimov '02

Honors Projects

In this project a novel approach was taken for performing a natural language task. The task requires a neural network to predict the grammatical category of the next word in a stream of sentences. There are two main reasons why this task is interesting. In natural language processing, it is sometimes very difficult to determine the grammatical category of a word in a sentence when that word could belong to different grammatical categories depending on the context. For example, the word "run" can either be a noun or a verb in a certain sentence. The ability to correctly determine the …

My Little Force Explodes: A Re-Creation Of The Assembly Of Emily Dickinson's Fasicicle 18, Katie Brokaw '02

Honors Projects

It is hard to recall my exact first encounter with Emily Dickinson. In some ways, I feel as though I have always known her. I remember quoting A word is dead! When it is said, / Some say. / I say is just / Begins to live / That day to my Junior High language arts class. Throughout the years, Dickinson has grown with me, in me. In the summer of 2000, I began an independent study focusing on ED's fascicles. It was during that summer that I chose to focus on F.18, by virtue of the fact that it …

Ethics Counsel's Role In Combating The 'Ostrich' Tendency, Susan Saab Fortney

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

To illustrate the importance of ethics advisors playing an active role in building a law firm's ethical infrastructure, this article focuses on ethics problems related to hourly billing. Ethics experts who have studied hourly billing recognize attorneys' reluctance to report billing misconduct, In the book, THE HONEST HOUR, Professor William G. Ross refers to the inclination of attorneys to close their eyes when they suspect billing irregularities. Professor Lisa G. Lerman made a similar observation in noting that firm attorneys who share income may "turn a blind eye to misconduct" by another firm attorney.' Both Professors Lerman and Ross recommend …

Digital Millennium Copyright Act: Can It Take Down Internet Infringers?, David L. Clark

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

In response to the growing digital age, Congress enacted the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") on October 28, 1998. Unlike traditional copyright statutes, the DMCA does not address the act of infringement but instead focuses on the technology that makes infringement easier. Copyright holders have begun to develop encryption technology to prevent unauthorized use of their works, and the DMCA assists those efforts by prohibiting any person from circumventing those security provisions or selling decryption devices. The DMCA also encourages Internet Service Providers ("ISPs") to disable websites that are accused of copyright infringement; it protects the ISPs with a safe …

Gain-Bandwidth Characteristics Of Thin Avalanche Photodiodes, Majeed M. Hayat, Oh-Hyun Kwon, Yi Pan, Paul P. Sotirelis, Joe C. Campbell, Bahaa E.A. Saleh, Malvin Carl Teich

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The frequency-response characteristics of avalanche photodiodes (APDs) with thin multiplication layers are investigated by means of a recurrence technique that incorporates the history dependence of ionization coefficients. In addition, to characterize the autocorrelation function of the impulse response, new recurrence equations are derived and solved using a parallel computer. The mean frequency response and the gain-bandwidth product are computed and a simple model for the dependence of the gain-bandwidth product on the multiplication-layer width is set forth for GaAs, InP, Al/sub 0.2/Ga/sub 0.8/As, and In/sub 0.52/Al/sub 0.48/As APDs. It is shown that the dead-space effect leads to a reduction (up …

Illinois State: For Alumni Of Illinois State University, Winter 2002-2003, Illinois State University, University Marketing And Communications

State: The Magazine of Illinois State University (1999-present)

Illinois State University alumni magazine

Boundary Effects On Multiplication Noise In Thin Heterostructure Avalanche Photodiodes: Theory And Experiment [Al/Sub 0.6/Ga/Sub 0.4/As/Gaas], Majeed M. Hayat, Oh-Hyun Kwon, Shuling Wang, Joe C. Campbell, Bahaa E.A. Saleh, Malvin Carl Teich

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

The history-dependent recurrence theory for multiplication noise in avalanche photodiodes (APDs), developed by Hayat et al., is generalized to include inter-layer boundary effects in heterostructure APDs with multilayer multiplication regions. These boundary effects include the initial energy of injected carriers as well as bandgap-transition effects within a multilayer multiplication region. It is shown that the excess noise factor can be significantly reduced if the avalanche process is initiated with an energetic carrier, in which case the initial energy serves to reduce the initial dead space associated with the injected carrier. An excess noise factor reduction up to 40% below the …

Maximum-Likelihood Image Estimation Using Photon-Correlated Beams, Majeed M. Hayat, Muhammad Sajjad Abdullah, Adel Joobeur, Bahaa E.A. Saleh

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A theory is presented addressing the fundamental limits of image estimation in a setup that uses two photon-correlated beams. These beams have the property that their photon arrivals, as a point process, are ideally synchronized in time and space. The true image represents the spatial distribution of the optical transmittance (or reflectance) of an object. In this setup, one beam is used to probe the image while the other is used as a reference providing additional information on the actual number of photons impinging on the object. This additional information is exploited to reduce the effect of quantum noise associated …

Factors Affecting Performance On The Lahi- A Complex Continuous Performance Task, Daniel Kretchman

Open Access Master's Theses

This experiment examined basic properties of the Lahi, a multi-target continuous performance task with three sections, used in R. Feuerstein's Leaming Propensity Assessment Battery. Signal detection theory was used to evaluate performance by undergraduate students on the measure. Results did not identify differences between the three possible multiple targets, when evaluated on their own. There were differences in performance, however, when the order of presenting the targets was changed between the different sections of the task, as well as differences over time for most of the alternate forms of the task. Implications for the clinical utility of this measure for …

Effect Of Ph And Temperature On Conformational Changes Of A Humanized Monoclonal Antibody, Sejal Gandhi

Open Access Master's Theses

Maintenance of the structural integrity of a therapeutic protein is essential for its efficacy in relation to physiological and pharmacological activity. Therefore, a major challenge confronting the pharmaceutical scientist working with protein formulation is the instability of the protein during processing, handling, storage, and use. Hence well-defined preformulation studies for proteins need to be performed to understand the stability issues relevant to their production, formulation, and use. Vast numbers of drugs available in the market are rnicromolecular dugs, which have molecular weight less than 1000 D. There is a good reason to believe that polypeptides and proteins offer different challenges …

Problems In Defining And Controlling The Unauthorized Practice Of Law, Linda Galler

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

A lively debate is taking place within the states on the question whether lawyers should be permitted to practice law in professional services organizations that provide both legal and nonlegal services and that are owned, in whole or in part, by nonlawyers. At this time, the states are divided; some endorse the notion of multidisciplinary practice (MDP) while others do not. At its August 2000 meeting, the American Bar Association (ABA) House of Delegates rejected a proposal to permit lawyers practicing in MDPs to render legal services. In so doing, the House urged the states to enforce their laws prohibiting …

Legal Ethics Advisors And The Interests Of Justice: Is An Ethics Advisor A Conscience Or A Co-Conspirator?, Roy D. Simon

Hofstra Law Faculty Scholarship

In this short paper, I cannot explore the full range of lawyer-client interactions. Nor can I develop a comprehensive theory, or a comprehensive set of rules, to tell lawyers when to follow, and when to resist, client instructions. I can, however, examine some aspects of attorney-client relations in my small corner of the world, where I often function as an ethics advisor to lawyers and law firms. My premise, which I believe Deborah Rhode would endorse, is that ethics advisors have an obligation, both to their clients and to the legal profession, to provide honest, straightforward answers to inquiries concerning …

Moisture Interactions With Pharmaceuticalpol Ymerjc Film Coatings, Ravi S. Pappu

Open Access Master's Theses

It is a well-known fact that water can act as a detrimental variable in performance of pharmaceutical dosage forms. Derivatives of various starches and cellulose are widely used as excepients, generally in high proportions to the total amount making up the dosage form. A complete understanding of the uptake of moisture by cellulose polymers is important because moisture-polymer interaction affects various properties such as compressibility and stability. In this study I) hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), 2) modified HPMC (SEPPIC^®), 3) microcrystaline cellulose containing carrageenan (Lusterclear^®) were used for studies of moisture polymer interaction. The interaction of moisture …

Development Of An Introductory Experimental/Adventure Education Course For Exercise Science Majors At Southern Connecticut State University, Patricia Ann Payne

Abraham S. Fischler College of Education ETD Archive

As part of the self-study process, core courses and field experiences of the Exercise Science Teacher Education Preparation Program (Exstep) were closely evaluated for their effectiveness in preparing pre-service teachers for student teaching and future employment. The problem was a lack of effective facilitation methods by the pre-service teachers in the Exstep program especially in the area of adult education principles, which include the affective domain of teaching and learning (SCSU Exstep self-study, 2000). An introductory course in experiential/adventure education would facilitate the principles of adult education, thereby enhancing students understanding of"affective" teaching methodologies, as well as philosophies, by giving …

Fast, Cheap, And Out Of Control: Lessons From The Icann Dispute Resolution Process, Elizabeth G. Thornburg

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

The Internet is constantly expanding, both as a means of communication and as a means of commerce. As its contacts among people and businesses expand, more and more disputes will arise and will need resolution. These disputes will evolve both from business-to-consumer transactions and from business-to-business transactions. Some of the claims will include breach of contract, breach of warranty, and even fraud. Others will concern intellectualproperty rights such as trademarks, copyrights, and patents. Still others will involve competition law, raising issues of antitrust, trade disparagement, and other claims of unfair competition. Alleging defamation, invasion of privacy and emotional distress, some …

The Protection Of Intellectual-Property Rights In A Federalist Era, Steve Malin

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

The framers of the Constitution envisioned a nation comprising several separate and independent sovereign states. Under a system of dual sovereignty, the states gave up certain enumerated powers delegated to the federal government. Among those powers was the authority to enact laws designed to protect patent and copyright owners and to encourage invention and original authorship.

Also in the framers' minds - recent caselaw tells us - was the belief that the states retained immunity from suits brought by individuals. Despite this fact, the federal intellectual-property system has historically placed sovereign states on equal footing with individuals as to both …

Telecommunications Law: Open Access To Cable Broadband Transmission: At&T Corp. V. City Of Portland, 216 F.3d 871 (9th Cir. 2000), Deborah L. Lively

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

In AT&T Corp. v. City of Portland, the Ninth Circuit considered whether a local cable franchising authority could condition the transfer of a cable franchise upon the cable operator's grant of unrestricted access to its cable broadband transmission facilities.

In 1998, AT&T - the nation's largest long-distance telephone provider - proposed a merger with Telecommunications, Inc. ("TCI"), which was among the nation's largest cable-television operators. In the merger, AT&T received access to TCI's cable broadband transmission system as a conduit for AT&T's "@Home" Internet service. A cable broadband system provides Internet access at much faster speeds than through typical modem …

Copyright Act Of 1976 - Copyright Infringement - Supreme Court Holds That The Selling Of Freelance Authors' Articles By Print Publishers To Electronic Publishers Constitutes Copyright Infringement. New York Times Co. V. Tasini, 533 U.S. 483 (2001), S. Brock Benson

Computer Law Review and Technology Journal

In New York Times Co. v. Tasini, the Supreme Court decided the issue of whether the selling to electronic publishers of articles in collective works without permission from the freelance authors was permissible under § 201 (c) of the Copyright Act. In earlier proceedings, the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York granted summary judgment for the publishers, holding that the publishers were entitled to place contents of their periodicals into electronic databases without the permission of the authors whose works appeared in the periodicals. The Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, however, reversed …

Center For The Advancement Of Teaching Annual Report, 2001-2002, Illinois State University, Center For The Advancement Of Teaching

Annual Reports - Center for Integrated Professional Development

Annual report of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching at Illinois State University

Securing Liberty With Chains: Locking Up The Fifth Amendment Within The Confines Of Miranda Dickerson V. United States, Bryan P. Doyle

MC Law Review

Notes

Do The Crime, Do The Time, But The Time Should Fit The Crime: Does Mississippi Need Sentencing Guidelines - White V. State, Renee C. Harrison

MC Law Review

Notes

The Least Of Evils For Judicial Selection, Leslie Southwick

MC Law Review

Symposium - The Judicial Selection

Tort Reform And The Medical Liability Insurance Crisis In Mississippi: Diagnosing The Disease And Prescribing A Remedy, Neil Vidmar, Leigh Ann Brown

MC Law Review

No abstract provided.

An Algebraic Algorithm For Nonuniformity Correction In Focal-Plane Arrays, Bradley M. Ratliff, Majeed M. Hayat, Russell C. Hardie

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research and Publications

A scene-based algorithm is developed to compensate for bias nonuniformity in focal-plane arrays. Nonuniformity can be extremely problematic, especially for mid- to far-infrared imaging systems. The technique is based on use of estimates of interframe subpixel shifts in an image sequence, in conjunction with a linear-interpolation model for the motion, to extract information on the bias nonuniformity algebraically. The performance of the proposed algorithm is analyzed by using real infrared and simulated data. One advantage of this technique is its simplicity; it requires relatively few frames to generate an effective correction matrix, thereby permitting the execution of frequent on-the-fly nonuniformity …

A Question Of Motivations: Determining Why Donor Countries Give Aid, Sarah Fuller '02

Honors Projects

Despite the fact that foreign aid has been around in its present form since World War II, foreign aid analysis, especially from the donor's point of view, has been and continues to be highly contested. In 1992, the United Nations claimed that "ODA [Official Development Assistance] allocation is 'strange and arbitrary'" and "ODA is determined not by the needs of developing countries, but by the fluctuating goodwill of the people and their parliaments in the rich countries. As a result, it is largely ad hoc and unpredictable" (United Nations Development Programme, 45). This statement cannot, however, explain why Africa is …

A Question Of Motivations: Determining Why Donor Countries Give Aid, Sarah Fuller '02

Res Publica - Journal of Undergraduate Research

Despite the fact that foreign aid has been around in its present form since World War II, foreign aid analysis, especially from the donor's point of view, has been and continues to be highly contested. In 1992, the United Nations claimed that "ODA [Official Development Assistance] allocation is 'strange and arbitrary'" and "ODA is determined not by the needs of developing countries, but by the fluctuating goodwill of the people and their parliaments in the rich countries. As a result, it is largely ad hoc and unpredictable" (United Nations Development Programme, 45). This statement cannot, however, explain why Africa is …

Masculine Threat And Anti-Gay Attitude, Chad Corbley '02

Honors Projects

In a pretest, male and female participants completed the PAQ, a measure of self perceived masculinity and femininity. Only male participants (though they were not aware of this fact) were contacted to return for the second part of the study. Participants were hooked up to psychophysiological recording equipment and took part in one of three conditions. In the masculine threat condition, they took a test ostensibly measuring masculine knowledge and received false negative feedback. In the general threat condition, participants took a test ostensibly measuring general knowledge and received the same feedback. The no threat or control condition was exactly …

Examining The Cognitive And Physiological Processes Underlying Traumatic Disclosure, Anna Carlson '02

Honors Projects

The aims of this research were to examine the cognitive and physiological reactions associated with the disclosure of a traumatic event. Cognitive-Experiential Self-Theory (Epstein, 1991; 1998) suggests that there are two separate modes of information processing. One is the rational mode that is based on logic and the other is the experiential mode that is based on emotions and heuristics. The way these two modes of processing may be related to disclosure was examined using 60 undergraduate students at Illinois Wesleyan University. Participants engaged in one of four writing conditions; a trivial topic, the emotions surrounding a traumatic experience, the …

Cultural Scripts Of Parental Intervention In Conflict, Kristina L. Mcdonald '02

Honors Projects

Parents frequently intervene in the conflicts that children experience with other peers. The work of Ross, Hastings and their colleagues has alerted researchers to the possibility that parents engage in such intervention in part to teach children lessons. Ross and her colleagues have focused on the role of such intervention for teaching children rules about possession and property rights. Whereas property rights might be particularly salient in cultures such as the European-American subgroups in the U.S. that emphasize individualism and market forces, this might be less salient in other cultures. Many of the cultural groups in Indonesia emphasize collectivism, social …

Closed Loop Identification Of A First Order Plus Dead-Time Process Model Under Pi Control, Tony Kealy, Aidan O'Dwyer

Conference papers

This paper discusses the estimation of the parameters of a first order plus dead-time process model using the closed-loop step response data of the process under proportional plus integral (PI) control. The proportional gain and the integral time, in the PI controller, are chosen such that the closed-loop step response exhibits an under-damped response. From this response data, five characteristic points are used to determine a second order plus dead-time model and subsequently, the frequency response of the closed-loop system. Knowing the dynamics of the closed-loop system and the dynamics of the controller, the open-loop dynamics of the process can …