20 research outputs found
Interview with Alicia Erian
No full textAlicia Erian is the author of a novel, Towelhead, and a collection of stories, The Brutal Language of Love. Her writing has appeared in Playboy, Zoetrope, and The Iowa Review. She has worked as a film director and screenwriter and taught at Wellesley College. She is currently completing a memoir. In March 2011, Erian came to Butler University as a writer-in-residence and sat down with Susan Lerner to discuss her writing process, messy families, and sex
بنت قسطنطين : قصة تاريخية / محمد سعيد العريان.
No full textA historical novel written by the Egyptian writer Muhammad Saeed Al-Erian, first published in 1948 by Al-Istiqama Press. It focuses on the biography of Maslama bin Abdul Malik, an Umayyad leader and prince, during the rule of his father, Caliph Abdul Malik bin Marwan
Review The Chemistry of α-Haloketones and Their Utility in Heterocyclic Synthesis
No full textcom * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-mail
Determinants of expatriate workers'remittances in North Africa and Europe
No full textThe authors review the theoretical literature on the determinants of international workers'remittances and then posit an empirical model that accounts for demographic, portfolio, and macroeconomic factors that - together with special incentive policies - determine official remittances. They estimated the model using data from five major labor-exporting countries of North Africa and Europe: Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia, Turkey, and the former Yugoslavia. The econometric results strongly corroborate the model's predictions and reveal interesting policy implications. In planning for the future growth of remittances, labor-exporting countries should explicitly take into consideration the history of migration, since an aging labor force abroad will be less inclined to remit. Labor-exporting countries should also account for the economic prospects of the major labor-receiving countries and for the geographical distribution of their migrant labor. The authors'results show that remittances are significantly affected by economic policies in the home (labor-exporting) countries. Special incentive schemes cannot substitute for a stable, credible macroeconomic policy.Economic Theory&Research,Economic Conditions and Volatility,Environmental Economics&Policies,Inequality,Banks&Banking Reform
UA12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 92, No. 42
No full textWKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. This issue contains articles: Austin, Emma. Attorney General Intervenes In College Heights Herald Lawsuit – Andy Beshear Williams, Jamie. Patched: Solution to Budget Shortfall Shores Up for Another Year Bradley, Erian. Students Adapt to Construction of Residence Halls Williams, Jamie. New Legislation Affects Students’ Free Speech Wegert, Sally. Featured Watercolor Artist to Visit, Teach Class – Steve Cavallo Brockman, Kacie. Professors Discuss Facts, Fake News – Guy Jordan, Mac McKerral Editorial Cartoon re: Higher Education Budget Money Model: Performance-based Funding Would Harm WKU Burgess, Kelly. Making Your Own, Healthy Knock-off Slush Williams, Tyger. Old with New – Southern Roots Car Show Mohr, Olivia. Author Discusses Honored Book – Vidyan Ravinthiran Critchelow, Andrew. Raising Notice – Sexual Assault Mohr, Olivia. Question & Answer with Human Rights Painter Steven Cavallo Porter, Sam. Pro Day Sees Several Different Types of Prospects Perform – Football Porter, Sam. Hilltoppers Still Adjusting to New System in Spring Practice - Football Heichelbech, Evan. Professional Affair – Football Mansfield, Tyler. WKU Baseball Wins Weekend Series at Middle Tennessee State Universit
Study of Activation Effect of Anodic Current on La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta Air Electrode in Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell
No full textElectrochemical performance evolution of La0.6Sr0.4Co0.2Fe0.8O3-delta (LSCF) air electrode polarized with anodic current is reported in this paper. The study was conducted on three-electrode half-cells with Yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) electrolyte using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy under equilibrium potential. Initially, the polarization resistance (RP) tested at 800 degrees C of the LSCF electrode sintered at 900 degrees C is 0.25 Omega cm(2). During the first 20 hours of testing with anodic current density of 0.2 A cm(-2), RP increased with a linear dependence on the square root of time, suggesting Sr surface segregation. After the first phase of tests RP stabilized at 0.68 Omega cm2. Continued testing at increased current density to 0.5 A cm(-2) showed that RP decreased from 0.68 to 0.46 Omega cm(2), and again to 0.39 Omega cm(2) at even higher bias of 1 A cm(-2). Moreover, short-term tests for 129 h under various currents again showed that RP decreased upon higher anodic current while increased upon lower anodic current. However, no obvious degradation on RP was shown by comparing the value before and after the test. Based on above results, the authors speculate that the application of anodic current may be able to stabilize and activate the performance of LSCF electrode through suppressing and mitigating Sr surface segregation. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.National Research Foundation (NRF), Prime Minister's Office, Singapore under Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programmeSCI(E)[email protected]; [email protected]
Experimental and thermodynamic study on the performance of water electrolysis by solid oxide electrolyzer cells with Nb-doped Co-based perovskite anode
No full textIn this work, Solid Oxide Electrolyzer Cell (SOEC) based on Ba0.9Co0.7Fe0.2Nb0.1O3-delta (BCFN) air electrode and YSZ-GDC bilayer electrolyte was systematically investigated and the efficiency of high temperature water electrolysis by such a cell was analyzed. Firstly, chemical compatibility test between BCFN and YSZ showed that BaZrO3 formed after heat treatment at 1000 degrees C for 5 h, which adversely influenced the performance of BCFN dramatically. A fully dense GDC interlayer was thus developed by co-sintering GDC layer, with addition of 0.5 at.% Fe2O3, with YSZ electrolyte at only 1300 degrees C. The as-prepared fuel electrode-supported eletrolyzer cell consisting of Ni-YSZ fuel electrode, YSZ-GDC bilayer electrolyte and BCFN air electrode was evaluated for water electrolysis. Specifically, at 800 degrees C using a feedstock of 60% H2O-40% H-2, the cell showed total area specific resistance of 0.195 Omega cm(2) and the cell voltage was 1.13 V with an electrolysis current of 1 A cm(2). After short-term stability test for 120 h with 1 A cm(-2) electrolysis current at 800 degrees C, the cell showed no microstructural changes as obsetved by scanning electron microscopy. At last, a high-temperature water electrolysis system based on the cell studied was proposed and the system analysis shows that the overall electricity to hydrogen efficiency can reach 73% based on lower heating value of hydrogen, with a hydrogen generation rate of 4180 L h(-1) m(-2). (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.National Research Foundation (NRF), Prime Minister's Office, Singapore under its Campus for Research Excellence and Technological Enterprise (CREATE) programmeSCI(E)ARTICLE559-56719
Synergistic effect of Aminoguanidine and L-Carnosine against Thioacetamide-induced Hepatic Encephalopathy in rats: Behavioral, Biochemical and Ultra Structural Evidences
No full textHepatic encephalopathy (HE) depicts the cluster of neurological alterations that occur during acute or chronic hepatic injury. This study was aimed to evaluate the possible synergistic effect between aminoguanidine (AG; 100 mg/kg; p.o.) and l-carnosine (CAR; 100 mg/kg; p.o.) on HE that was induced by thioacetamide (TAA; 100 mg/kg; i.p) thrice weekly for six weeks. Twenty-four hours after the last treatment; behavioral changes, biochemical parameters, histopathological analysis, immunohistochemical and ultrastructural studies were conducted. Combining AG with CAR improved TAA-induced locomotor impairment and motor incoordination evidenced by; reduced locomotor activity and decline in motor skill performance as well as ameliorated cognitive deficits. Moreover, both drugs restored the levels of serum hepatic enzymes as well as serum and brain levels of ammonia. In addition to, the combination significantly modulated hepatic and brain oxidative stress biomarkers, inflammatory cytokines and cleaved caspase-3 expression. Furthermore, they succeeded to activate nuclear erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression and ameliorate markers of HE including hepatic necrosis and brain astrocyte swelling. This study depicts that combining AG with CAR exerted new intervention for hepatic and brain damage in HE due to their complementary antioxidant, anti-inflammatory effect and hypoammonemic effects via Nrf2/HO-1 activation and NO inhibition.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
Poetry as a performing art in the English-speaking Caribbean.
No full textThis thesis seeks to demonstrate that there is a direct relationship
between the emergence of poetry as a performing art in the English speaking Caribbean and phases of nationalist agitation from the uprisings
against unemployment, low pay and colonial neglect during 1937-8 to the
present. Though the poetry has many variations in scope, ranging from
light-hearted entertainment, its principal momentum has been one of
protest, nationalism and revolutionary sentiment. The thesis seeks to
relate tone, style and content both to specific periods and cultural
contexts, and to the degree of engagement of the individual artist in the
political struggle against oppression.
Frequently theatrical, the poetry has commanded a stage and a
popular audience. Though urban in style, it is rooted in older, rural
traditions. Creole, the vernacular of the masses, is a vital common
denominator. The poetry is aurally stimulating, and often highly
rhythmic. The popular music of the day has played an integral part, and
formative role in terms of composition.
The fundamental historical dynamic of the English-speaking Caribbean
has been one of violent imperialist imposition on the one hand, and
resistance by the black masses on the other. Creole language, with its
strong residuum of African grammatical constructs, concepts and
vocabulary, has been a central vehicle of resistance. It is a low-status
language in relation to the officially-endorsed Standard English. The
thesis argues that artists' assertion of Creole, and total identification
with it through their own voice, is a significant act of defiance and
patriotism.
Periods of heightened agitation in the recent past have each led to
the emergence of a distinctive form of performance poetry. Chapter two
examines the role of Louise Bennett as a mouthpiece of black pride and
nationalist sentiment largely in the period preceding independence. Her
principal aim is the affirmation of the black Jamaican's fundamental
humanity. She uses laughter both as a curative emotional release and as
an expression of mental freedom. She lays the foundations of a comic
tradition which does not fundamentally challenge the contradictions of
the post-independence period.
Chapter three relates the emergence of the Dub Poets of Jamaica to
the development of Rastafarianism into a mass post-independence
nationalist revival, and to the contribution of intellectuals, most
symbolically Walter Rodney, to the process of decolonization. Reggae
music, the principal creative response to the dynamics of the period both
in terms of lyrics and rhythmic tension, infuses the work of Michael
Smith, Cku Onuora, Mutabaruka and Erian Meeks examined in this study.
Chapter four illustrates the development of performed poetry in the
context of periods of insurrection and revolution in the East Caribbean.
It examines the Black Rower movement as a stimulus to cultural
nationalism and revolutionary sentiment, and its transcendence to
internationalism and socialism in the context of the Grenada Revolution.
Abdul Malik straddles and exemplifies the creative dynamic which exists
between urban, industrial Trinidad and its tiny, rural and poor
neighbour, Grenada
Business rule learning using data mining of GUHA association rules
No full textV současném vysoce-konkurenčním prostředí je pro podniky velmi důležité, aby jejich informační systémy nejen co nejefektivněji podporovaly stávající podnikové procesy, ale aby se zároveň byly schopny se dynamicky přizpůsobovat měnícímu se prostředí. Stále více se prosazují snahy vzájemně oddělit aplikační a business logiku v rámci informačních systémů, přičemž jedním z vhodných prostředků pro záznam business logiky je využití business rules. Business rules jakožto jednoduchá a srozumitelná pravidla je možné využívat nejen pro shromažďování znalostí v rámci podniku, ale také pro aktivní rozhodování a řízení podnikových procesů. Ačkoliv je business rule přístup využíván již téměř 20 let, jednotlivé specifikace a možné aplikace business rules jsou stále předmětem aktivního výzkumu i praktického vývoje. Nevýhodou business rules je velká náročnost jejich získávání - pravidla jsou obvykle zadávána ručně prostřednictvím doménových expertů. Jedním z problémů, na které je zaměřen aktuální výzkumu v této oblasti, je možnost (polo)automatického získávání business rules z jiných zdrojů - podnikových dokumentů či historických dat. Získávání business pravidel z historických podnikových dat je věnována také tato práce. Hlavním cílem této disertační práce je navrhnout a ověřit metodu (polo)automatického učení business rules za využití dolování asociačních pravidel. Asociační pravidla jsou známou data miningovou metodou objevování zajímavých vztahů v datech, přičemž nalezené vztahy jsou srozumitelné a vysvětlitelné. Tato srozumitelnost napomáhá možnosti využívat je pro učení business pravidel. K učení business pravidel lze využívat nejen jednoduchá asociační pravidla získávaná pomocí algoritmu Apriori či FP Growth, ale také složitější asociační pravidla získávaná za využití metody GUHA. V rámci práce je využívána procedura 4ft-Miner data miningového systému LISp-Miner. V rámci této práce je nejprve popsána problematika business pravidel a jejich využívání pro modelování podniků i praktické zapojení do podnikových procesů a také problematika dolování asociačních pravidel. S ohledem na roztříštěnost specifikací a standardů pro definici business rules je v rámci práce definován a následně prakticky aplikován proces pro výběr odpovídající specifikace business rules pro konkrétní praktické využití. Následně jsou v rámci práce navrženy tři způsoby zapojení dolování asociačních pravidel pro učení business rules. V rámci těchto modelů byl též definován model pro transformaci GUHA asociačních pravidel do business pravidel ve formátu DRL (pro systém Drools). Pro možnost získávání business pravidel za využití většího množství zdrojů, zejména za využití dolování asociačních pravidel z většího množství data setů, je v další části práce navržena struktura báze znalostí vhodné pro propojení business rules a asociačních pravidel z většího množství zdrojů, přičemž z pohledu business rules slouží jako terminologický slovník, pro dolování asociačních pravidel pak plní úlohu báze doménových znalostí pro předzpracování dat. Navržené modely byly ověřeny za využití praktických implementacích v systémech EasyMiner (v kombinaci se systémem Drools) a Erian. V rámci práce jsou kromě popisů praktických implementací definovány také dva modelové příklady praktického využití učení business pravidel z výsledků dolování GUHA asociačních pravidel, založené na reálných datech. Jeden v oblasti marketingu, druhý v oblasti kontrol ve zdravotních pojišťovnách.In the currently highly competitive environment, the information systems of the businesses should not only effectively support the existing business processes, but also have to be dynamically adaptable to the changes in the environment. There are increasing efforts at separation of the application and the business logic in the information system. One of the appropriate instruments for this separation is the business rule approach. Business rules are simple, understandable rules. They can be used for the knowledge externalization and sharing also as for the active control and decisions within the business processes. Although the business rule approach is used for almost 20 years, the various specifications and practical applications of business rules are still a goal of the active research. The disadvantage of the business rule approach is great demands on obtaining of the rules. There has to be a domain expert, who is able to manually write them. One of the problems addressed by the current research is the possibility of (semi)automatic acquisition of business rules from the different resources - unstructured documents, historical data etc. This dissertation thesis addresses the problem of acquisition (learning) of business rules from the historical data of the company. The main objective of this thesis is to design and validate a method for (semi)automatic learning of business rules using the data mining of association rules. Association rule are a known data mining method for discovering of interesting relations hidden in the data. Association rules are comprehensible and explainable. The comprehensibility of association rules is suitable for the use of them for learning of business rules. For this purpose the user can use not only simple rules discovered using the algorithm Apriori or FP-Growth, but also more complex association rules discovered using the GUHA method. Within this thesis is used the procedure 4ft-Miner implemented in the data mining system LISp Miner. The first part of this thesis contains the description of the relevant topics from the research of business rules and association rules. Business rules is not a name of one specification of standard but rather a label of the approach to modelling of business logic. As part of the work there is defined a process of selection of the most appropriate specification of business rules for the selected practical use. Consequently, the author proposed three models of involving of data mining of association rules into business rule sets. These models contain also the definition of a model for the transformation of GUHA association rules in the business rules for the system JBoss Drools. For the possibility of learning of business rules using the data mining results from more than one data set, the author proposed a knowledge base. The knowledge base is suitable for the interconnection of business rules and data mining of association rules. From the perspective of business rules the knowledge base is a term dictionary. From the perspective of data mining the knowledge base contains some background knowledge for data preprocessing and preparation of classification models. The proposed models have been validated using practical implementations in the systems EasyMiner (in conjunction with JBoss Drools) and Erian. The thesis contains also a description of two model use cases based on real data from the field of marketing and the field of health insurance
