The science and technology of corpus, and corpus for science and technology

Corpus Linguistics is a young discipline. The earliest work was done in the 1960s, but corpora only began to be widely used by lexicographers and linguists in the late 1980s, by language teachers in the late 1990s, and by language students only very recently. This course in corpus linguistics was held at the Departamento de Linguistica Aplicada, E.T.S.I. de Minas, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid from June 15-19 1998. About 45 teachers registered for the course. 30% had PhDs in linguistics, 20% in literature, and the rest were doctorandi or qualified English teachers. The course was designed to introduce the use of corpora and other computational resources in teaching and research, with special reference to scientific and technological discourse in English. Each participant had a computer networked with the lecturer’s machine, whose display could be projected onto a large screen. Application programs were loaded onto the central server, and telnet and a web browser were available. COBUILD gave us permission to access the 323 million word Bank of English corpus, Mike Scott allowed us to use his Wordsmith Tools software, and Tim Johns gave us a copy of his MicroConcord program.

Technology of repair for corroded reinforced concrete

A number of factors relating to various methods of repair for chloride initiated corrosion damage of reinforced concrete have been studied. A novel methodology has been developed to facilitate the measurement of macro and micro-cell corrosion rates for steel electrodes embedded in mortar prisms containing a chloride gradient. The galvanic bar specimen comprised electrically isolatable segmental mild steel electrodes and was constructed such that macro-cell corrosion currents were determinable for a number of electrode combinations. From this, the conditions giving rise to an incipient anode were established. The influence of several reinforcement and substrate primer systems upon macro-cell corrosion, arising from an incipient anode, within a patch repair have been investigated. Measurements of electrochemical noise were made in order to investigate the suitability of the technique as an on-site means of assessing corrosion activity within chloride contaminated reinforced concrete. For this purpose the standard deviation of potential noise was compared to macro-cell galvanic current data and micro-cell corrosion intensity determined by linear polarisation. Hydroxyl ion pore solution analyses were carried out on mortar taken from cathodically protected specimens. These specimens, containing sodium chloride, were cathodically protected over a range of polarisation potentials. Measurement of the hydroxyl ion concentrations were made in order to examine the possibility of alkali-silica reactions initiated by cathodic protection of reinfored concrete. A range of mortars containing a variety of generic type additives were examined in order to establish their resistances to chloride ion diffusion. The effect of surfactant addition rate was investigated within a cement paste containing various dosages of naphthalene sulphonate.

Study of epitaxial silicon layers with reference to the technology of semi-conductor devices

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Cyberstalking:the technology of hate

This article discusses the emergence of cyberstalking as a means of victimising individuals and minority groups. However, rather than focusing on the activities of far-right groups, we discuss how technology can encourage individuals to harass others. The central argument made is that technology both enables and invites participation in criminal or antisocial behaviour from individuals who would not normally take part in such activities. One way in which this can be explained is by suggesting that some of the social and technological characteristics of the Internet act together in order to lower inhibitions and establish new norms. For instance, the anonymity offered by the Internet enables people to participate in activities such as encouraging violence against others with little fear of retaliation. In addition, by allowing a cyberstalker to harm another person at a distance, the victim is effectively depersonalised. In this way it can be argued that some of those who sympathise with the goals of far-right organisations may be reluctant to act in the offline world but more willing to act in the online world.

Technology of Storage and Processing of Electronic Documents with Intellectual Search Properties

The technology of record, storage and processing of the texts, based on creation of integer index cycles is discussed. Algorithms of exact-match search and search similar on the basis of inquiry in a natural language are considered. The software realizing offered approaches is described, and examples of the electronic archives possessing properties of intellectual search are resulted.

The Technology of Programming for a Cluster Computer by the Remote Terminal with OS Windows

The problem of preparation of a program to perform it on multiprocessor system of a cluster type is considered. When developing programs for a cluster computer the technology based on use of the remote terminal is applied. The situation when such remote terminal is the computer with operational system Windows is considered. The set of the tool means, allowing carrying out of editing program texts, compiling and starting programs on a cluster computer, is suggested. Advantage of an offered way of preparation of programs to execution is that it allows as much as possible to use practical experience of programmers used to working in OS Windows environment.

A Knowledge-Oriented Technology of System-Objective Analysis and Modelling of Business-Systems

A new original method and CASE-tool of system analysis and modelling are represented. They are for the first time consistent with the requirements of object-oriented technology of informational systems design. They essentially facilitate the construction of organisational systems models and increase the quality of the organisational designing and basic technological processes of object application developing.

Investigation and modelling of tremor reducer with the technology of targeted energy transfer

This thesis presents the study of a two-degree-of-freedom (2 DOF) nonlinear system consisting of two grounded linear oscillators coupled to two separate light weight nonlinear energy sinks of an essentially nonlinear stiffness. In this thesis, Targeted Energy Transfer (TET) and NES concept are introduced. Previous studies and research of Energy pumping and NES are presented. The characters in nonlinear energy pumping have been introduced at the start of the thesis. For the aim to design the application of a tremor reduction assessment device, the knowledge of tremor reduction has also been mentioned. Two main parties have been presented in the research: dynamical theoretic method of nonlinear energy pumping study and experiments of nonlinear vibration reduction model. In this thesis, nonlinear energy sink (NES) has been studied and used as a core attachment for the research. A new theoretic method of nonlinear vibration reduction which with two NESs has been attached to a primary system has been designed and tested with the technology of targeted energy transfer. Series connection and parallel connection structure systems have been designed to run the tests. Genetic algorithm has been used and presented in the thesis for searching the fit components. One more experiment has been tested with the final components. The results have been compared to find out most efficiency structure and components for the theoretic model. A tremor reduction experiment has been designed and presented in the thesis. The experiment is for designing an application for reducing human body tremor. By using the theoretic method earlier, the experiment has been designed and tested with a tremor reduction model. The experiment includes several tests, one single NES attached system and two NESs attached systems with different structures. The results of theoretic models and experiment models have been compared. The discussion has been made in the end. At the end of the thesis, some further work has been considered to designing the device of the tremor reduction.

A gazdaságpolitikai döntéshozatal nemzetek fölötti centralizációja és a közösségi gazdaságtan. Az adóverseny elméletének néhány tanulsága (Supranational centralization of economic policy-making and community economics: some lessons from the theory of tax competition)

Mennyiben képes jelenleg a közösségi gazdaságtan az adópolitikák nemzetek fölötti centralizációjára vonatkozó politikai döntések megalapozására? Válaszunk röviden az lesz, hogy a közösségi gazdaságtan főárama - noha számos releváns gazdasági és politikai tényező hatását sikeresen elemzi - jelenleg nem kínál kielégítőnek tekinthető döntési kritériumokat a döntéshozók számára. Ennek oka, hogy központi szerepet játszik benne egy, a modellek szempontjából exogén és a közgazdasági elmélettől idegen tényező: a kormányzatok jóindulatára, pontosabban annak mértékére vonatkozó premissza. Tanulmányunk az adóverseny fiskális föderalista elméletét vizsgálja, és megpróbál általánosabb szinten is a közszektor gazdaságelméletének jelenlegi állapotára, valamint továbbfejlesztésére vonatkozó tanulságokat levonni. A kiutat az elméleti zsákutcából a kormányzati működés és döntéshozatal, valamint a kívánatos gazdaságpolitikai döntések elméletének összekapcsolása jelentheti. Erre megtörténtek az első kísérletek, de a szisztematikus és átfogó elemzés egyelőre várat magára. / === / How far can community economics provide a basis for political decision-making on supranational centralization of taxation policies? The short answer here will be that although the mainstream of community economics succeeds in analysing many relevant economic and political factors, it fails at present to provide satisfactory criteria for decisionmakers. This is because a central role is played in it by a factor exogenous to the models and alien to economic theory: the premise of the measure of goodwill from governments. The study examines the fiscal federalist theory of tax competition. It tries to draw conclusions, on a more general level, about the present state of the economic theory of the public sector and future development of it. The way out of the theoretical blind alley could be to link the theories of government operation and decision-making and of desirable economic-policy decision-making. The first attempts to do so have been made, but a systematic and comprehensive analysis is still awaited.

Women-led community development organizations (CDOs) in Miami-Dade County: A model of community development efforts impacting the economic security of women

Recent studies on the economic status of women in Miami-Dade County (MDC) reveal an alarming rate of economic insecurity and significant obstacles for women to achieve economic security. Consistent barriers to women's economic security affect not only the health and wellbeing of women and their families, but also economic prospects for the community. A key study reveals in Miami-Dade County, "Thirty-nine percent of single female-headed families with at least one child are living at or below the federal poverty level" and "over half of working women do not earn adequate income to cover their basic necessities" (Brion 2009, 1). Moreover, conventional measures of poverty do not adequately capture women's struggles to support themselves and their families, nor do they document the numbers of women seeking basic self-sufficiency. Even though there is lack of accurate data on women in the county, which is a critical problem, there is also a dearth of social science research on existing efforts to enhance women's economic security in Miami-Dade County. My research contributes to closing the information gap by examining the characteristics and strategies of women-led community development organizations (CDOs) in MDC, working to address women's economic insecurity. The research is informed by a framework developed by Marilyn Gittell, who pioneered an approach to study women-led CDOs in the United States. On the basis of research in nine U.S. cities, she concluded that women-led groups increased community participation and "by creating community networks and civic action, they represent a model for community development efforts" (Gittell, et al. 2000, 123). My study documents the strategies and networks of women-led CDOs in MDC that prioritize women's economic security. Their strategies are especially important during these times of economic recession and government reductions in funding towards social services. The focus of the research is women-led CDOs that work to improve social services access, economic opportunity, civic participation and capacity, and women's rights. Although many women-led CDOs prioritize building social infrastructures that promote change, inequalities in economic and political status for women without economic security remain a challenge (Young 2004). My research supports previous studies by Gittell, et al., finding that women-led CDOs in Miami-Dade County have key characteristics of a model of community development efforts that use networking and collaboration to strengthen their broad, integrated approach. The resulting community partnerships, coupled with participation by constituents in the development process, build a foundation to influence policy decisions for social change. In addition, my findings show that women-led CDOs in Miami-Dade County have a major focus on alleviating poverty and economic insecurity, particularly that of women. Finally, it was found that a majority of the five organizations network transnationally, using lessons learned to inform their work of expanding the agency of their constituents and placing the economic empowerment of women as central in the process of family and community development.

The emergence of a mass community-based ecotourism theme park : the case of Ejido Chacchoben, Quintana Roo, Mexico

In 1998, a dispute between a federal government agency and the local community of Chacchoben resulted in the emergence of a community-based ecotourism (CBE) enterprise to be fully owned and operated by the community in conjunction with a complex arrangement of agreements and partnerships with external actors. CBE is usually framed as a lower-impact, often small-scale alternative to mass tourism and as a conservation and development strategy that can hypothetically protect biologically diverse landscapes while improving the lives of marginalized peasant and indigenous communities through their participation. This case study analyzes the roles of common property land tenure and social capital and how the unique dilemma of a mass community-based ecotourism theme park emerged in Chacchoben. Findings indicate that local decisions and processes of development, conservation, and land use are affected by the complex interaction between local and external institutions and fluctuating levels of social capital.

The effects of audio cueing and an instructions, feedback and praise package on the distribution of teacher praise to students of differing on-task levels

In an audio cueing system, a teacher is presented with randomly spaced auditory signals via tape recorder or intercom. The teacher is instructed to praise a child who is on-task each time the cue is presented. In this study, a baseline was obtained on the teacher's praise rate and the children's on-task behaviour in a Grade 5 class of 37 students. Children were then divided into high, medium and low on-task groups. Followinq baseline, the teacher's praise rate and the children's on-task behaviour were observed under the following successively implemented conditions: (l) Audio Cueing 1: Audio cueing at a rate of 30 cues per hour was introduced into the classroom and remained in effect during subsequent conditions. A group of consistently low on-task children were delineated. (2) Audio Cueing Plus 'focus praise package': Instructions to direct two-thirds o£ the praise to children identified by the experimenter (consistently low on-task children), feedback and experimenter praise for meeting or surpassing the criterion distribution of praise ('focus praise package') were introduced. (3) Audio Cueing 2: The 'focus praise package' was removed. (4) Audio Cueing Plus 'increase praise package': Instructions to increase the rate of praise, feedback and experimenter praise for improved praise rates ('increase praise package') were introduced. The primary aims of the study were to determine the distribution of praise among hi~h, medium and low on-task children when audio cueinq was first introduced and to investigate the effect of the 'focus praise package' on the distribution of teacher praise. The teacher distributed her praise evenly among the hiqh, medium and low on-task groups during audio cueing 1. The effect of the 'focus praise package' was to increase the percentage of praise received by the consistently low on-task children. Other findings tended to suggest that audio cueing increased the teacher's praise rate. However, the teacher's praise rate unexpectedly decreased to a level considerably below the cued rate during audio cueing 2. The 'increase praise package' appeared to increase the teacher's praise rate above the audio cueing 2 level. The effect of an increased praise rate and two distributions of praise on on-task behaviour were considered. Significant increases in on-task behaviour were found in audio cueing 1 for the low on-task group, in the audio cueing plus 'focus praise package' condition for the entire class and the consistently low on-task group and in audio cueing 2 for the medium on-task group. Except for the high on-task children who did not change, the effects of the experimental manipulations on on-task behaviour were e quivocal. However, there were some indications that directing 67% of the praise to the consistently low on-task children was more effective for increasing this group's on-task behaviour than distributing praise equally among on-task groups.

Individual Variation in VO2peak Response Following Sprint Interval Training: The Role of Peripheral Adaptation

There is a large degree of heterogeneity in response to regular physical activity at the individual level, with some exhibiting no or very small improvements in VO2peak following highly controlled exercise training. The purpose of this thesis was to examine individual variation in VO2peak response to sprint interval training (SIT) in relation to individual responses to multiple measures of peripheral physiological adaptation. Specifically, VO2peak, capillary density, fibre-specific SDH content, and type I fibre % were measured in 23 young, healthy, recreationally active males before and after 4 weeks SIT (Tabata protocol 4 x per week). The key findings of this experiment included that, when separated into tertiles of VO2peak response, the high (HI) and low (LO) groups differed significantly in VO2peak change after training. Secondly, there was no difference between HI and LO groups for response in any of capillary density, fibre-specific SDH content, or fibre type %, with no correlation found between individual VO2peak response and changes in any measured peripheral variable. Together, these results confirm that individuals respond heterogeneously to SIT and suggest that this heterogeneity does not result from differences in individual changes in capillary density, fibre-specific SDH content or type I fibre %. It is speculated that some other combination of peripheral physiological adaptation must explain variability in VO2peak response to 4 weeks of SIT.

Predicting bee community responses to land-use changes: Effects of geographic and taxonomic biases

Land-use change and intensification threaten bee populations worldwide, imperilling pollination services. Global models are needed to better characterise, project, and mitigate bees' responses to these human impacts. The available data are, however, geographically and taxonomically unrepresentative; most data are from North America and Western Europe, overrepresenting bumblebees and raising concerns that model results may not be generalizable to other regions and taxa. To assess whether the geographic and taxonomic biases of data could undermine effectiveness of models for conservation policy, we have collated from the published literature a global dataset of bee diversity at sites facing land-use change and intensification, and assess whether bee responses to these pressures vary across 11 regions (Western, Northern, Eastern and Southern Europe; North, Central and South America; Australia and New Zealand; South East Asia; Middle and Southern Africa) and between bumblebees and other bees. Our analyses highlight strong regionally-based responses of total abundance, species richness and Simpson's diversity to land use, caused by variation in the sensitivity of species and potentially in the nature of threats. These results suggest that global extrapolation of models based on geographically and taxonomically restricted data may underestimate the true uncertainty, increasing the risk of ecological surprises.