6664 research outputs found
Sort by
Resolving ambiguity in Hedge detection by Automatic Generation of linguistic rules
Get PDFAn understanding of natural language is key in order to robustly extract the linguistic features indicative of deceptive speech. Hedging is a key indicator of deceptive speech as it can indicate a speaker’s lack of commitment in a conversation. Hedging is characterised by words and phrases that display a sense of vagueness or that lack precision, such as suppose, about. The identification of hedging terms in speech is a challenging task, due to the ambiguity of natural language, as a phrase can have multiple meanings. This paper proposes to automate the process of generating rules for hedge detection in transcripts produced by an automatic speech recognition system using explainable decision tree models trained on syntactic features. We have extracted syntactic features through dependency parsing to capture the grammatical relationship between hedging terms and their surrounding words based on meaning and context. We tested the effectiveness of our model on a dataset of conversational speech, for 75 different hedging terms, and achieved an F1 score of 0.88. The result of our automated process is comparable to existing solutions for hedge detection
The design of an active learning strategy to promote collaborative and research-based learning in project management education
Get PDFProject management (PM) is one of the most popular professions worldwide. Therefore, project management education (PME) has peaked due to its demand in industry. However, research shows that PME focuses too much on PM methodologies. Little has been done in training students in the critical thinking, research, and collaboration skills required by industry. Hence, this paper presents the design of an active learning intervention for PME, which aims at engaging students to learn collaboratively in a research-based learning environment. Following an action research methodology, the authors present the different stages of the study, which took place in a UK university with a group of PM postgraduate students with different levels of work experiences and backgrounds. The pedagogic intervention was evaluated in three stages: 1) non-participant observation, 2) informal feedback, and 3) evaluation survey. Descriptive analysis was adopted for analysing the data collected in stage one. Data collected in stage two and three was analysed by thematic analysis. This research contributes to informing the future design of PME that emphasises on developing students’ critical thinking, research and collaboration skills. These skills are crucial for any project management professional and highly sought by industry
There aint no cowboys in Portishead (or are there?): story fragments, identity, and singing the american dream with an English accent
Get PDFIn this performance autoethnography I explore how songs and cowboy images, typically American phenomena, have imprinted my life and have helped provide narrative resources for challenging available stereotypical gender scripts
Identification of novel antioxidant peptides from snakehead (Channa argus) soup generated during gastrointestinal digestion and insights into the anti-oxidation mechanisms
Get PDFAntioxidant peptides obtained from snakehead (Channa argus) soup (SHS) after simulated gastrointestinal (GI) digestion were separated, identified and characterized. Results showed that the fraction with MW < 3 kDa had the highest antioxidant capacity. Four novel antioxidant peptides were identified after RP-HPLC and UPLC-MS/MS. PGMLGGSPPGLLGGSPP and SDGSNIHFPN had the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC50 = 1.39 mM) and Fe2+ chelating ability (IC50 = 4.60 mM), respectively. Structures in silico for IVLPDEGK, PGMLGGSPPGLLGGSPP and SDGSNIHFPN suggest at least one β-turn and/or α-helix, which are associated with antioxidant activity. Moreover, our results showed that these three peptides docked with a recombinant Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) with a binding score greater than TX6, a good ligand of Keap1. The cell viability assay also showed significant cytoprotective effects against H2O2-induced cellular oxidative damage. This information implies that antioxidant mechanisms of novel SHS peptides occurred via activation of cellular anti-oxidation Keap1-Nrf2 signaling pathway
Energy-efficient LoRaWAN for industry 4.0 applications
Get PDFThanks to its inherent capabilities (such as fairly long radio coverage with extremely low power consumption), long-range wide area network (LoRaWAN) can support a wide spectrum of low-rate use-cases in Industry 4.0. In this article, both plain and energy harvesting (EH) industrial environments are considered to study the performance of LoRa radios for industrial automation. In the first instance, a model is presented to investigate LoRaWAN in Industry 4.0 in terms of battery life, battery replacement cost, and damage penalty. Then, the EH potential, available within an Industry 4.0, is highlighted to demonstrate the impact of harvested energy on the battery life and sensing interval of LoRa motes deployed across a production facility. The key outcome of these investigations is the cost trade-off analysis between battery replacement and damage penalty along different sensing intervals which demonstrates a linear increase in aggregate cost up to £1500 in case of 5 min sensing interval in the plain (nonenergy harvesting) industrial environment while it tends to decrease after a certain interval up to five times lower in EH scenarios. In addition, the carbon emissions due to the presence of LoRa motes and the annual CO 2 emission savings per node have been recorded up to 3 kg/kWh when fed through renewable energy sources. The analysis presented herein could be of great significance toward a green industry with cost and energy efficiency optimization
Crisis knowledge in tourism: types, flows, and governance
No full textIn an environment, however, where the tourism industry is increasingly exposed to disruptions, stresses, and crises, tourism academics have developed and presented several valuable frameworks for the management of disasters (Faulkner, 2001; Paraskevas & Arendell, 2007; Ritchie 2004) although more emphasis was put on destination image recovery and recovery marketing (Armstrong & Ritchie, 2008; Beirman, 2003). Surprisingly, in an era when the industry is facing a series of prolonged crises such as climate change, global recession, widespread political instability, etc. with highly complex impacts and needs a framework for the development and governance of crisis knowledge, only a few attempts were made by academics to explore the knowledge aspects of crises and disasters (Blackman & Ritchie, 2008; Blackman et al., 2011).
This chapter aims at narrowing this gap by identifying the types of crisis knowledge tourism organizations employ in the advent of a crisis and by exploring the crisis knowledge management processes and flows within these organizations. It also explores the ways that organizational factors such as leadership, structure, culture, and communication influence these processes and flows
Teaching here and there, a new podcast that explores thinking, teaching and practice of hybrid teaching in higher education
No full textIn episode 1, Dom Pates, James Rutherford & Dr. Ivan Sikora are in conversation with two academics from City, University of London. Both are practising lecturers and have been using digital technology in a variety of online delivery modes.
Dr. Rebecca Wells has experience of teaching on a live multi modal course on Food Policy with 6 other UK universities, before the term hybrid was widely adopted. Dr. Jane Secker teaches on Masters course for academics and has adopted virtual classroom tools for online blended delivery.
Our conversation covered their research into hybrid teaching and in particular, their insights from a recent literature review and first hand experience as lecturers. What seems to be key is the need for group work and interaction amongst all participants as well as the need for academics to embrace new technology and carry that extra load in making the hybrid sessions effective for students
The bubble of normalisation: a qualitative study of carers of people with dementia who do not seek help for a diagnosis
Get PDFObjective
Improving dementia diagnosis rates are a key feature of dementia strategy and policy worldwide. This study aimed to explore the experience of carers of people diagnosed with dementia during or following a hospital admission in order to identify factors that had prevented them from seeking help beforehand. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 informal carers including adults caring for a parent, a friend or a spouse diagnosed with dementia between 2010–2019, following an acute hospital admission for a physical health problem, having not sought help previously.
Main Findings
Carers created a ‘bubble of normalisation’ around themselves and the person living with dementia (PLWD) to reject the label of dementia and protect the PLWD from a loss of independence, discrimination and prejudice they felt would be the result of a diagnosis. Carers struggled to talk to the PLWD about dementia reinforcing denial and stigma. Post-diagnosis carers felt unsupported and questioned the value of diagnosis.
Principal Conclusions
Stigma related to images of dementia as a disease that takes away independence and identity prevented discussion about dementia between carers and the PLWD. A lack of open discussion about memory concerns between health care professionals and carers also served to delay diagnosis
User Engagement and Collaboration in the Next Generation Academic Libraries
Get PDFThe dynamic progress in computing technology is driving the change towards a more centralised and connected society. The technology revolution has transformed cities into smart cities together with all the components. Various studies have shown an interdependence between the quality of life of citizens of smart cities and their level of education. It has been proved that Librarie's access can improve citizens' quality of life and has an essential part in people's education. Traditional libraries improve their services and adapt to the users' expectations using a push strategy, which focuses on predicting user expectations by improving library operations and information system functionality.
However, the prediction is not always in line with reality when users are exposed to the most recent technology or forced to change by external forces such as COVID 19 outbreak. Intensive research on smart libraries and how automation can be implemented to support the activities of libraries is available from different backgrounds. The proposed research investigates how the next generation of academic libraries would improve user collaboration using a pull strategy method based on design thinking and a user-centered approach. The proposed research consists of field investigation on users' view in the University of West London library regarding user collaboration and using the survey findings to propose a solution. This paper includes a brief literature review on this topic with findings from previous studies and their limitations and proposed a methodology for collecting and analyzing the data. Future scenarios, automated libraries, post-COVID transformation, user engagement
Learning opportunities and diversity of engineering students’ background in interdisciplinary group projects
Get PDFPurpose
In line with business goals of customer satisfaction, higher education institutions of learning consider excellent student experience a priority. Teaching and learning are important aspects of satisfaction that are monitored annually by universities using tools such as the National Student Survey (NSS). The NSS results are useful for educational planning and informing consumer choices. This research measured undergraduate student experiences on an interdisciplinary project using the NSS framework. Hinged on diversity, the purpose was to investigate whether full-time (FT), part-time (PT) and degree apprenticeship students with varied work experience enhance their learning studying together on an interdisciplinary project.
Design/methodology/approach
This research has measured, using the NSS criteria, student experiences on an interdisciplinary project on a civil engineering programme. It benchmarks the quality of learning and student understanding and perceptions of learning. The method is based upon a literature review and questionnaire survey of students.
Findings
Results indicate good amounts of peer influence on learning in a simulated interdisciplinary team setting supported by a mix of diverse work experience in students’ background.
Originality/value
Sections of the NSS are extended with additional questions to capture the impact that FT, PT and degree apprenticeship study modes, closely associated with students’ background of job experience, have on teaching and learning