To cut a long story short:an analysis of formulaic sequences in short written narratives and their potential as markers of authorship

Previous research into formulaic language has focussed on specialised groups of people (e.g. L1 acquisition by infants and adult L2 acquisition) with ordinary adult native speakers of English receiving less attention. Additionally, whilst some features of formulaic language have been used as evidence of authorship (e.g. the Unabomber’s use of you can’t eat your cake and have it too) there has been no systematic investigation into this as a potential marker of authorship. This thesis reports the first full-scale study into the use of formulaic sequences by individual authors. The theory of formulaic language hypothesises that formulaic sequences contained in the mental lexicon are shaped by experience combined with what each individual has found to be communicatively effective. Each author’s repertoire of formulaic sequences should therefore differ. To test this assertion, three automated approaches to the identification of formulaic sequences are tested on a specially constructed corpus containing 100 short narratives. The first approach explores a limited subset of formulaic sequences using recurrence across a series of texts as the criterion for identification. The second approach focuses on a word which frequently occurs as part of formulaic sequences and also investigates alternative non-formulaic realisations of the same semantic content. Finally, a reference list approach is used. Whilst claiming authority for any reference list can be difficult, the proposed method utilises internet examples derived from lists prepared by others, a procedure which, it is argued, is akin to asking large groups of judges to reach consensus about what is formulaic. The empirical evidence supports the notion that formulaic sequences have potential as a marker of authorship since in some cases a Questioned Document was correctly attributed. Although this marker of authorship is not universally applicable, it does promise to become a viable new tool in the forensic linguist’s tool-kit.

Linked data for the 21st Century enterprise:from silos to supply chains

Six actions for collation collective intelligence to inform and accelerate change

Investigating the delivery of antimicrobial proteins and aminoglycoside antibiotics to the airways

Biopharmaceuticals are finding wide applications in the management of diverse disease conditions. Pulmonary delivery of proteins may constitute an effective and efficient non-invasive alternative to parenteral delivery, which is currently the main route of administration of biopharmaceutical drugs. A particular area, in which pulmonary delivery of peptides and proteins may find ready application, is in the local delivery of antimicrobial peptides and proteins to the airway, a measure that could potentially bring about improvements to currently available antipseudomonal therapies. This thesis has therefore sought to develop inhalable antimicrobial proteins in combination with antibiotics that have particularly good antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections in the respiratory tract of people with cystic fibrosis (CF). Through process optimisation, a suitable spray drying method was developed and used for the preparation of active, inhalable dry powder formulations of the antimicrobial protein, lactoferrin, and aminoglycosides (tobramycin and gentamicin). The physicochemical properties, aerosolisation performance and the antibacterial properties of the various spray-dried formulations were assessed. In addition, a relevant in vitro cellular model was employed to investigate the potential cytotoxic and pro-inflammatory effects of the various formulations on four bronchial human epithelial cells together with their effectiveness at reducing bacterial colonies when administered on to biofilm co-cultured on the epithelial cells. It was found that following spray drying the particles obtained were mostly spherical, amorphous and possessed suitable aerosolisation characteristics. The various spray-dried antimicrobial proteins (lactoferrin or apo lactoferrin) and co-spray dried combinations of the proteins and aminoglycosides were found to exhibit bactericidal activity against planktonic and biofilms of P. aeruginosa. In general, the spray drying process was found not to significantly affect the antimicrobial activities of the protein. Treatment of the different bronchial epithelial cell lines with the antimicrobial formulations showed that the various formulations were non-toxic and that the co-spray dried combinations significantly reduced established P. aeruginosa biofilms on the four bronchial epithelial cells. Overall, the results from this thesis demonstrates that spray drying could potentially be employed to prepare inhalable antimicrobial agents comprised of proteins and antibiotics. These new combinations of proteins and aminoglycosides has promising applications in the management of P. aeruginosa in the airway of cystic fibrosis patients.

A pilot study to evaluate the self-medication system for liver transplant patients at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham

Background and Objective: Medication non-compliance is a considerable obstacle in achievinga therapeutic goal, whichcan result in poorerhealthcare outcomes, increased expenditure, wastage and potential for medication resistance. The UK Government’s Audit Commission’s publication ‘A Spoonful of Sugar’1 addresses these issues and promotes self-medication systems as a possible solution. The self-medication system within the Liver Transplant Unit (LTU) was implemented to induct patients onto new post- transplantation medication regimes ready for discharge. The system involves initial consultations with both the Liver Transplant Pharmacist and Trans- plant Co-ordinator, supported with additional advice as and when necessary. Design: Following ethical approval, evaluation of the self-medication sys- tem for liver transplant patients was conducted between January and March 2004 via two methods: audit and structured post-transplantation interview. The audit enabled any discrepancies between current Hospital guidelines and Liver Transplant Unit (LTU) practices to be highlighted. Patient interviews generated a retrospective insight into patient acceptance of the self-medication system. Setting: LTU, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, England. Main Outcome Measures: LTU compliance with Hospital self-medication guidelines and patient insight into self-medication system. Results: A total of seven patients were audited. Findings illustrated that self- medication by transplant patients is a complex process which was not fully addressed by current Hospital self-medication guidelines. Twenty-three patients were interviewed, showing an overwhelming positive attitude to- wards participating in their own care and a high level of understanding towards their individual medication regimes. Following a drugs counselling session, 100% of patients understood why they were taking their medica- tion, and their doses, 95% understood how to take their medication and 85% were aware of potential side effects. Conclusions: From this pilot evaluation it can be stated that the LTU self-medication system is appreciated by patients and assists them in fully understanding their medication regimes. There appear to be no major defects in the system. However areas such as communication barriers and on-going internet education were illustrated as areas for possible future investigation. References: 1. Audit Commission. A spoonful of sugar – medicines management in NHS hospitals. London: Audit Commission; 2001.

Enhancing competitive advantage with radio-frequency identification (RFID) enabled returnable transport equipment (RTE)

Fierce competition within the third party logistics (3PL) market has developed as providers compete to win customers and enhance their competitive advantage through cost reduction plans and creating service differentiation. 3PL providers are expected to develop advanced technological and logistical service applications that can support cost reduction while increasing service innovation. To enhance competitiveness, this paper proposes the implementation of radio-frequency identification (RFID) enabled returnable transport equipment (RTE) in combination with the consolidation of network assets and cross-docking. RFID enabled RTE can significantly improve network visibility of all assets with continuous real-time data updates. A four-level cyclic model aiding 3PL providers to achieve competitive advantage has been developed. The focus is to reduce assets, increase asset utilisation, reduce RTE cycle time and introduce real-time data in the 3PL network. Furthermore, this paper highlights the need for further research from the 3PL perspective. Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Public libraries and the right to the [smart] city

The future of public libraries has been threatened by funding cuts and new digital technologies which have led many people to question their traditional role and purpose. However, freedom of information, ready access to knowledge and information literacy in all its digital and analog guises are more important than ever. Thus, public libraries remain significant spaces and places where people can socially interact and learn. In many countries public libraries are reinventing themselves and part of this process has been the redesign of library services and the design and construction of new library building and facilities that articulate the values, purpose and role of what has been termed 'the next library'. Following discussion of new library developments in London, Birmingham and Worcester in the UK, Aarhus in Denmark and Helsinki in Finland, the article concludes that public libraries are now both social and media spaces as well as being important physical places that can help city dwellers decide what type of urban world they want to see.

A three-level RFID-based automation approach to enhance network competitiveness

Today, the question of how to successfully reduce supply chain costs whilst increasing customer satisfaction continues to be the focus of many firms. It is noted in the literature that supply chain automation can increase flexibility whilst reducing inefficiencies. However, in the dynamic and process driven environment of distribution, there is the absence of a cohesive automation approach to guide companies in improving network competitiveness. This paper aims to address the gap in the literature by developing a three-level framework automation application approach with the assistance of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology and returnable transport equipment (RTE). The first level considers the automation of data retrieval and highlights the benefits of RFID. The second level consists of automating distribution processes such as unloading and assembling orders. As the labour is reduced with the introduction of RFID enabled robots, the balance between automation and labour is discussed. Finally, the third level is an analysis of the decision-making process at network points and the application of cognitive automation to objects. A distribution network scenario is formed and used to illustrate network reconfiguration at each level. The research pinpoints that RFID enabled RTE offers a viable tool to assist supply chain automation. Further research is proposed in particular, the area of cognitive automation to aide with decision-making.

Duppying yoots in a dog eat dog world, kmt:determining the senses of slang terms for the Courts

I describe and discuss a series of court cases which focus upon on decoding the meaning of slang terms. Examples include sexual slang used in a description by a child and an Internet Relay Chat containing a conspiracy to murder. I consider the task presented by these cases for the forensic linguist and the roles the linguist may assume in determining the meaning of slang terms for the Courts. These roles are identified as linguist as naïve interpreter, lexicographer, case researcher and cultural mediator. Each of these roles is suggestive of different strategies that might be used from consulting formal slang dictionaries and less formal Internet sources, to collecting case specific corpora and examining all the extraneous material in a particular case. Each strategy is evaluated both in terms of the strength of evidence provided and its applicability to the forensic context.

"Lájkolom őket, de ennék is náluk?" – Aktivitásra buzdító kis- és középvállalati közösségimédia-tevékenységek fogyasztói fogadtatása magyarországi vendéglátóhelyek példáján keresztül ("I like them, but would I eat at their place?" – Encouraging social media activities of small and medium-sized enterprises and their consumerreactions – the case of Hungarian catering establishments)

A vendéglátóipari egységek kommunikációjában fontos szerepe van a közösségi médiában való jelenlétnek. Hazánkban a leggyakrabban használt felület a Facebook, amely sok ilyen vállalkozás esetében kiemelt fontosságú, vagy akár az egyetlen reálisan elérhető marketingkommunikációs felület. Kutatásunkban azt vizsgáljuk, hogy a felhasználók hogyan érzékelik a feléjük továbbított üzleti célú információkat a közösségi felületen, illetve hogy a fogyasztókra milyen mértékű aktivitás jellemző kedvenc vendéglátóipari egységük oldalán. Ennek céljából szubjektív fogyasztói narratívákat (n=151) elemzünk a kvalitatív tartalomelemzés módszertanával. A válaszadókat arra kértük, hogy írjanak kedvenc vendéglátóhelyükkel való kapcsolatukról az online térben. A "belájkolt" vendéglátóipari egységek felületeinek fogyasztók által észlelt aktivitása segítheti a vállalkozásokat abban, hogy alaptevékenységük elemeinek kommunikálásával, vagy akár ettől teljesen eltérő közösségi stratégiát használva pozicionálják márkájukat. A márkák tudatos tartalommenedzselése hozzájárulhat továbbá a felhasználók virtuális térben való hatékonyabb eléréséhez és bevonásához. ____ Presence in social media is an important element in the communication of catering establishments. The most frequently used platform in Hungary – that is extraordinarily important, or even the only reasonably accessible marketing communications platform for many catering companies – is Facebook. In our research, we analyse how users perceive the business-purposed information forwarded to them on the social media platform, and how intensive are the consumers’ activities on their most preferred catering establishment's site. For this purpose we analyse subjective consumer narratives (N=151) with the methodology of qualitative content analysis. We asked the respondents to write about the relationship with their most preferred catering establishment in the online sphere. Perceived activity of the "liked" catering establishment's platform could help enterprises to position themselves by communicating their core activities, or by using a totally different social strategy. Moreover, conscious content management of brands could contribute to reach and to engage users in the virtual sphere more efficiently.

Factors affecting emergency department length of stay of patients admitted to telemetry and critical care units

The purpose of this study was to determine the emergency department (ED) length of stay (LOS) of patients admitted to inpatient telemetry and critical care units and to identify the factors that contribute to a prolonged ED LOS. It also examined whether there was a difference in ED LOS between clients evaluated by an ED physician, an Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) or a Physician's Assistant (PA).^ A data collection tool was devised and used to record data obtained by retrospectively reviewing 110 charts of patients from this sample. The mean ED LOS was 286.75 minutes. Multiple factors were recorded as affecting the ED LOS of this sample, including: age, diagnosis, consultations, multiple radiographs, pending admission orders, nurse unable to call report/busy, relatives at bedside, observation or stabilization necessary, bed not ready and infusion in progress. No significant difference in ED LOS was noted between subjects initially evaluated by a physician, an ARNP or a PA. ^

An aspect-oriented approach to designing role-based access control services

Access control (AC) limits access to the resources of a system only to authorized entities. Given that information systems today are increasingly interconnected, AC is extremely important. The implementation of an AC service is a complicated task. Yet the requirements to an AC service vary a lot. Accordingly, the design of an AC service should be flexible and extensible in order to save development effort and time. Unfortunately, with conventional object-oriented techniques, when an extension has not been anticipated at the design time, the modification incurred by the extension is often invasive. Invasive changes destroy design modularity, further deteriorate design extensibility, and even worse, they reduce product reliability. ^ A concern is crosscutting if it spans multiple object-oriented classes. It was identified that invasive changes were due to the crosscutting nature of most unplanned extensions. To overcome this problem, an aspect-oriented design approach for AC services was proposed, as aspect-oriented techniques could effectively encapsulate crosscutting concerns. The proposed approach was applied to develop an AC framework that supported role-based access control model. In the framework, the core role-based access control mechanism is given in an object-oriented design, while each extension is captured as an aspect. The resulting framework is well-modularized, flexible, and most importantly, supports noninvasive adaptation. ^ In addition, a process to formalize the aspect-oriented design was described. The purpose is to provide high assurance for AC services. Object-Z was used to specify the static structure and Predicate/Transition net was used to model the dynamic behavior. Object-Z was extended to facilitate specification in an aspect-oriented style. The process of formal modeling helps designers to enhance their understanding of the design, hence to detect problems. Furthermore, the specification can be mathematically verified. This provides confidence that the design is correct. It was illustrated through an example that the model was ready for formal analysis. ^

Algorithms for scheduling parallel batch processing machines with non-identical job ready times

This research is motivated by a practical application observed at a printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing facility. After assembly, the PCBs (or jobs) are tested in environmental stress screening (ESS) chambers (or batch processing machines) to detect early failures. Several PCBs can be simultaneously tested as long as the total size of all the PCBs in the batch does not violate the chamber capacity. PCBs from different production lines arrive dynamically to a queue in front of a set of identical ESS chambers, where they are grouped into batches for testing. Each line delivers PCBs that vary in size and require different testing (or processing) times. Once a batch is formed, its processing time is the longest processing time among the PCBs in the batch, and its ready time is given by the PCB arriving last to the batch. ESS chambers are expensive and a bottleneck. Consequently, its makespan has to be minimized. ^ A mixed-integer formulation is proposed for the problem under study and compared to a formulation recently published. The proposed formulation is better in terms of the number of decision variables, linear constraints and run time. A procedure to compute the lower bound is proposed. For sparse problems (i.e. when job ready times are dispersed widely), the lower bounds are close to optimum. ^ The problem under study is NP-hard. Consequently, five heuristics, two metaheuristics (i.e. simulated annealing (SA) and greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP)), and a decomposition approach (i.e. column generation) are proposed—especially to solve problem instances which require prohibitively long run times when a commercial solver is used. Extensive experimental study was conducted to evaluate the different solution approaches based on the solution quality and run time. ^ The decomposition approach improved the lower bounds (or linear relaxation solution) of the mixed-integer formulation. At least one of the proposed heuristic outperforms the Modified Delay heuristic from the literature. For sparse problems, almost all the heuristics report a solution close to optimum. GRASP outperforms SA at a higher computational cost. The proposed approaches are viable to implement as the run time is very short. ^

Think before you eat: Calories and exercise equivalents presented on menus at point-of-choice

Although calorie information at the point-of-purchase at fast food restaurants is proposed as a method to decrease calorie choices and combat obesity, research results have been mixed. Much of the supportive research has weak methodology, and is limited. There is a demonstrated need to develop better techniques to assist consumers to make lower calorie food choices. Eating at fast food restaurants has been positively associated with weight gain. The current study explored the possibility of adding exercise equivalents (EE) (physical activity required to burn off the calories in the food), along with calorie information as a possible way to facilitate lower calorie choice at the point-of-choice in fast food restaurants. This three-group experimental study, in 18-34 year old, overweight and obese women, examines whether presenting caloric information in the form of EE at the point-of-choice at fast food restaurants, will lead to lower calorie food choices compared to presenting simple caloric information or no information at all. Methods. A randomized repeated measures experiment was conducted. Participants ordered a fast food meal from Burger King with menus that contained only the names of the food choices (Lunch 1). One week later (Lunch 2), study participants were given one of three menus that varied: no information, calorie information, or calorie information and EE. Study participants included 62 college aged students. Additionally, the study controlled for dietary restraint by blocking participants, before randomization, to the three groups. Results. A repeated measures analysis of variance was conducted. The study was not sufficiently powered, and while the study was designed to determine large effect sizes, a small effect size of .026, was determined. No significant differences were found in the foods ordered among the various menu conditions. Conclusion. Menu labeling alone might not be enough to reduce calories at the point-of-choice at restaurants. Additional research is necessary to determine if calorie information and EE at the point-of-choice would lead to fewer calories chosen at a meal. Studies should also look at long-term, repeated exposure to determine the effectiveness of calories and or EE at the point-of-choice at fast food restaurants.

Alternatives to steel grid bridge decks

Most of the moveable bridges use open grid steel decks, because these are factory assembled, light-weight, and easy to install. Open grid steel decks, however, are not as skid resistant as solid decks. Costly maintenance, high noise levels, poor riding comfort and susceptibility to vibrations are among the other disadvantages of these decks. The major objective of this research was to develop alternative deck systems which weigh no more than 25 lb/ft2, have solid riding surface, are no more than 4–5 in. thick and are able to withstand prescribed loading. Three deck systems were considered in this study: ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) deck, aluminum deck and UHPC-fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) tube deck. UHPC deck was the first alternative system developed as a part of this project. Due to its ultra high strength, this type of concrete results in thinner sections, which helps satisfy the strict self-weight limit. A comprehensive experimental and analytical evaluation of the system was carried out to establish its suitability. Both single and multi-unit specimens with one or two spans were tested for static and dynamic loading. Finite element models were developed to predict the deck behavior. The study led to the conclusion that the UHPC bridge deck is a feasible alternative to open grid steel deck. Aluminum deck was the second alternative system studied in this project. A detailed experimental and analytical evaluation of the system was carried out. The experimental work included static and dynamic loading on the deck panels and connections. Analytical work included detailed finite element modeling. Based on the in-depth experimental and analytical evaluations, it was concluded that aluminum deck was a suitable alternative to open grid steel decks and is ready for implementation. UHPC-FRP tube deck was the third system developed in this research. Prestressed hollow core decks are commonly used, but the proposed type of steel-free deck is quite novel. Preliminary experimental evaluations of two simple-span specimens, one with uniform section and the other with tapered section were carried out. The system was shown to have good promise to replace the conventional open grid decks. Additional work, however, is needed before the system is recommended for field application.

Are Consumers Ready for Mobile Payment? An Examination of Consumer Acceptance of Mobile Payment Technology in Restaurant Industry

As an emerging payment method, mobile payment technology is perceived to be a secure and effective substitute of traditional debit/credit card payment. Although several reports and scholars claimed that mobile payment technology would become a major future payment method, consumers rather caught on this trend slowly, and little is known about key determinants of consumers’ acceptance of mobile payment. To close that gap, the current study extended the classic Technology Acceptance Model by adding four additional predictors that are relevant to hospitality industry. The study results suggested that compatibility with lifestyle was the strongest predictor of consumers’ intention to adopt mobile payment technology in restaurants, followed by perceived usefulness, subjective norm, security, and previous experience with mobile payment. Important theoretical and practical implications were provided based on our findings.