853,396 research outputs found
An Cao Interview
No full textAn Cao (Class of 2023) was interviewed by Sabrina Simien via the Zoom internet-based video conferencing software. Ms. Cao was born on May 6th, 2001, in Richardson, Texas, where she was raised by her parents alongside her sisters. After attending high school, Ms. Cao enrolled at SMU in 2019 to earn her Bachelor's of Business Administration in Marketing with minors in Economics and Advertising. While at SMU, Ms. Cao participated in the Vietnamese Student Association, the Asian Council, and the CASE Consulting Club. During her interview, she discussed her upbringing, her culture, her experiences on campus, and her future life plans. Once she graduates, Ms. Cao plans to begin working at West Monroe
Autobiographical Elements in the Novel Dream of the Red Chamber: Parallels Between the Decline of the Jia Family and the Life of Cao Xueqin
No full textDiplomska naloga se poglablja v raziskovanje, kako so življenjske izkušnje Cao Xueqina vplivale na njegovo literarno upodobitev propada družine Jia v romanu Sanje v rdeči sobi. Cao Xueqin, ki je bil rojen v nekoč zelo vplivno, a v času njegovega življenja že propadajočo družino Cao, je svoje osebne izkušnje prenesel v svoje delo, kar je v veliki meri zaznamovalo njegovo pisanje. V nalogi natančno preučujem, kako so se avtorjevi osebni stiki z družbenimi, političnimi in ekonomskimi razmerami v obdobju dinastije Qing (1644–1912) odražali v njegovem pisanju, zlasti v prikazu družine Jia, ki se sooča s podobnimi težavami kot njegova lastna družina. Analiza razkriva, da sta usoda družine Cao in fiktivna zgodba družine Jia tesno prepleteni. Notranji konflikti, finančna nesposobnost upravljanja in postopno oddaljevanje od političnega vpliva so ključni elementi, ki so prispevali k propadu obeh družin. Cao Xueqin skozi lik Jia Baoyuja izraža svoje nezadovoljstvo s tradicionalno družbo, njeno moralno propadanje in družbenimi normami, ki so prevladovale v njegovem času. S primerjavo med resničnimi zgodovinskimi dogodki, ki so zaznamovali Caojevo družino, in fiktivno zgodbo, ki jo razgrinja roman, naloga osvetljuje, kako so avtorjeve osebne izkušnje neposredno vplivale na ustvarjanje tega literarnega dela. Sanje v rdeči sobi tako ne predstavljajo le literarnega dosežka, temveč tudi dragocen zgodovinski vir, ki ponuja vpogled v kompleksne družbene in politične razmere v obdobju dinastije Qing. Raziskava v tej nalogi prinaša pomembne vpoglede v način, kako so Cao Xueqinove življenjske izkušnje vplivale na njegov literarni opis, in razkriva, da roman ni le umetniška stvaritev, temveč tudi kritični komentar družbene realnosti njegovega časa. Takšna analiza pomaga bolje razumeti ne le pomen Sanj v rdeči sobi kot enega najpomembnejših del kitajske klasične književnosti, temveč tudi njegovo globoko povezavo s stvarnostjo in zgodovinskim kontekstom, v katerem je nastalo.The thesis delves into the exploration of how Cao Xueqin\u27s life experiences influenced his literary depiction of the Jia family\u27s decline in the novel Dream of the Red Chamber. Cao Xueqin, who was born into a once highly influential but declining Cao family during his lifetime, transferred his personal experiences into his work, which significantly shaped his writing. The thesis closely examines how the author\u27s personal connections with the social, political, and economic conditions during the Qing dynasty are reflected in his writing, particularly in the portrayal of the Jia family, which faces challenges similar to those of his own family. The analysis reveals that the fate of the Cao family and the fictional story of the Jia family are intricately intertwined. Internal conflicts, financial mismanagement, and gradual distancing from political influence are key elements that contributed to the downfall of both families. Through the character of Jia Baoyu, Cao Xueqin expresses his dissatisfaction with the feudal society, its moral decay, and the social norms that prevailed during his time. By comparing the real historical events that marked the Cao family\u27s decline with the fictional story told in the novel, the thesis highlights how the author\u27s personal experiences directly influenced the creation of this literary work. Dream of the Red Chamber thus represents not only a literary achievement but also a valuable historical source that provides insight into the complex social and political conditions of the Qing dynasty. The research in this thesis offers significant insights into how Cao Xueqin\u27s life experiences influenced his literary opus and reveals that the novel is not merely an artistic creation but also a critical commentary on the social reality of his time. Such analysis helps to better understand not only the importance of Dream of the Red Chamber as one of the most significant works of Chinese classical literature but also its deep connection with reality and the historical context in which it was created
Poetry of Loss and the Early Medieval Chinese Court of the Warlord Cao Cao (155–220)
No full textUpon the fall of the Han empire, the warlord Cao Cao (155–220) established a new political domain. The Cao court became known for its accomplished writers, including the warlord himself and two of his sons, Cao Pi (187–226) and Cao Zhi (192–232). Afflicted by sibling rivalry and an epidemic, these poets distinguished themselves by writing about frustration, sorrow, and death. Yet, as observed in Poetry of Loss, the poets drew on experiences of loss to reinvent the court, its collective memory, and its ways of remembering. While addressing melancholy and nostalgia, they also meditated on such themes as aging, widowhood, and parental loss. In this book, Hsiang-Lin Shih reconstructs a network of courtly texts and uncovers new inter-and-intra textual elements of the works. She shows how writers at the Cao court employed their poetic art to establish, develop, and sustain a community in each difficult moment of their intertwined lives
Melt densities in the CaO-FeO-Fe2O3-SiO2 system and the compositional dependence of the partial molar volume of ferric iron in silicate melts
Get PDFThe densities of 10 melts in the CaO-FeO-Fe2O3-SiO2 system were determined in equilibrium with air, in the temperature range of 1200 to 1550°C, using the double-bob Archimedean technique. Melt compositions range from 6 to 58 wt% SiO2, 14 to 76 wt% Fe2O3 and 10 to 46 wt% CaO. The ferric-ferrous ratios of glasses drop-quenched from loop fusion equilibration experiments were determined by 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy.
Melt densities range from 2.689 to 3.618 gm/cm3 with a mean standard deviation from replicate experiments of 0.15%. Least-squares regressions of molar volume versus molar composition have been performed and the root mean squared deviation shows that a linear combination of partial molar volumes for the oxide components (CaO, FeO, Fe2O3 and SiO2) cannot describe the data set within experimental error. Instead, the inclusion of excess terms in CaFe3+ and CaSi (product terms using the oxides) is required to yield a fit that describes the experimental data within error. The nonlinear compositional-dependence of the molar volumes of melts in this system can be explained by structural considerations of the roles of Ca and Fe3+.
The volume behavior of melts in this system is significantly different from that in the Na2O-FeO-Fe2O3-SiO2 system, consistent with the proposal that a proportion of Fe3+ in melts in the CaO-FeO-Fe2O3-SiO2 system is not tetrahedrally-coordinated by oxygen, which is supported by differences in 57Fe Mössbauer spectra of glasses. Specifically, this study confirms that the 57Fe Mössbauer spectra exhibit an area asymmetry and higher values of isomer shift of the ferric doublet that vary systematically with composition and temperature (this study; Dingwell and Virgo, 1987, 1988). These observations are consistent with a number of other lines of evidence (e.g., homogeneous redox equilibria, Dickenson and Hess, 1986; viscosity, Dingwell and Virgo, 1987,1988). Two species of ferric iron, varying in proportions with temperature, composition and redox state, are sufficient to describe the above observations.
The presence of more than one coordination geometry for Fe3+ in low pressure silicate melts has several implications for igneous petrogenesis. The possible effects on compressibility, the pressure dependence of the redox ratio, and redox enthalpy are briefly noted
Phase Diagram Study for the PbO-ZnO-CaO-SiO2-"Fe2O3" System in Air with CaO/SiO2 in 1.1 and PbO/(CaO+SiO2) in 2.4 Weight Ratios
No full textAn experimental study on the phase equilibrium and the liquidus isotherms for the PbO-ZnO-CaO-SiO2-"Fe2O3" system with CaO/SiO2 in 1.1 and PbO/(CaO+SiO2) in 2.4 weight ratios, respectively, was carried out in the temperature range 1100-1300ºC (1373-1573 K). High temperature phases were determined by the equilibrium-quenching method. Results are presented in the form of pseudo-ternary sections "Fe2O3"-ZnO-(PbO+CaO+SiO2). X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and SEM-EDS results showed that the phase equilibria in this system are dominated by the high melting temperature spinel and zincite phases. It was observed that if the system is at a temperature below 1300ºC and the total (Fe2O3 + ZnO) is greater than 20 wt%, spinel and/or zincite will be present in the slag system. As an application of the phase diagram, the liquid phase compositions below the liquidus surface were estimated, then their viscosities were calculated using FACTSage software.</div
[Handwritten list of names by an unknown author #1]
No full textHandwritten note by an unknown author, listing various names
Process engineering and development of post-combustion CO2 separation from fuels using limestone in CaO-looping cycle
Get PDFGlobal CO2 emissions produced by energy-related processes, mainly power plants, have increased rapidly in recent decades; and are widely accepted as the dominant contributor to the greenhouse gas (GHG) effect and consequent climate changes. Among countermeasures against the emissions, CO2 capture and storage (CCS) is receiving much attention. Capture of CO2 is the core step of CCS as it contributes around 75% of the overall cost, and may increase the production costs of electricity by over 50%. The reduction in capture costs is one of the most challenging issues in application of CCS to the energy industry. Using limestone in CaO-looping cycles is a promising capture technology to provide a cost-effective separation process to remove CO2 content from power plants operations. Limestone has the advantage of being relatively abundant and cheap, and that has already been widely used as a sorbent for sulphur capture. However, this technology suffers from a critical challenge caused by the decay in the sorbent capture capacity during cyclic carbonation/calcination, which results in the need for more sorbent make-up; hence a reduction in cost efficiency of the technology. The performance of sorbent influenced by several operating and reaction conditions. Therefore, much research involves investigation of influencing factors and different methods to reduce the sorbent deactivation. Cont/d
Effect of CaO content in raw material on the mineral composition of ferric-rich sulfoaluminate clinker
No full textFerric-rich calcium sulfoaluminate (FR-CSA) cement is an eco-friendly cement. Fe2O3 exists in different minerals of FR-CSA clinker, e.g., Ca4Al2Fe2O10 (C4AF), Ca2Fe2O5 (C2F), and Ca4Al6-2xFe2xSO16 (C4A3-xFxS-). The mineral composition depends on the chemical composition of the raw materials and significantly determines the reactivity of FR-CSA cement. To optimize the phase composition of the FR-CSA clinker, chemical reagent raw mixtures with different amounts of CaO were used to prepare the FR-CSA clinker. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, Rietveld quantitative phase analysis (RQPA), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) were used to identify the mineralogical conditions of the FR-CSA clinker. The results indicated that the amounts of CaO in raw materials greatly affected the iron-bearing phase formation in the FR-CSA clinker. With decreasing CaO content involved in calcination reaction, the amounts of Fe2O3 incorporated in C4A3-xFxS- increased up to 17.72 wt% (where x = 0.36). The findings make it possible to optimize the mineral composition of the FR-CSA clinker by changing the CaO content in raw materials. Furthermore, low CaO content in the raw material is beneficial to the formation of C4A3-xFxS-, which enables the use of solid wastes containing low calcium for producing FR-CSA cement.Accepted author manuscriptMaterials and Environmen
Scaling and explaining machine learning powered database applications
Get PDFFor decades, database systems have been the backbone of applications in a wide range
of domains, e.g., finance, web services, business intelligence, social analysis, healthcare.
Meanwhile, the resurgence of machine learning in particular large-scale deep learning
services provided by big companies in recent years has been expeditiously reshaping
these applications, enabling them to easily take advantage of model prediction services
and be significantly more adaptive, intelligent and capable. However, this movement
causes database applications to be less transparent, rendering database vendors incapable
of offering reliable insights and explanations to their application customers. In
addition, the increasing popularity of machine learning features rapidly boosts the scale
of applications while the underlying legacy database systems are struggling to scale out
and keep up the pace, causing tension between the application load and database system.
This thesis aims to address these two challenges. The first part of the thesis presents a
new concept, referred to as on-database contextual explanation, and a suit of associated
techniques to empower database applications to explain their learning powered decisions
to end customers, even if they are generated by third-party cloud-based prediction
services that opt not to offer explainability. The key intuition is that the data exchange
between the databases and remote machine learning models already gives the applications
a dynamic context that contains vital information to deduce reliable explanations,
independent of the explainability of the remote models. To elaborate on and exploit this,
we develop algorithms and systems to efficiently compute contextual feature explanation
and counterfactual explanation by examining and monitoring databases at runtime,
faithfully conforming to the “right-to-explanation” policy requested by GDPR. We also
evaluate its effectiveness via extensive experiments and real-world case studies.
The second part of thesis develops a means to scale out legacy databases without
migrating them to the cloud or re-deploying with added hardware. Our method is to
augment legacy database systems at runtime with external caches, allowing us to offload
database load to a look-aside cache on-the-fly. However, a caveat of extending
database systems with lightweight caches is that the augmented system as a whole
loses correctness guarantees that a typical database system offers especially for transactional
workloads, requiring the developers to re-design the applications. To this end,
we present transactional caching, a scheme that maintains application invariant over
the augmented system. It works with any key-value in-memory caches, e.g., Redis
and Memcached, and empowers them to assure that applications always see a monotonically
increasing snapshot of the databases. Critical to the performance of such
cache-augmented databases is the design of transactional cache replacement policies,
which we prove is intractable as opposed to linear time decidable for conventional
caching. Nonetheless, we develop efficient learning-augmented transactional cache policies
with provable guarantees. Over real-life traces and benchmarks, they have shown
effective in improving transaction throughput while guaranteeing application invariant.
These together give us a suit of concepts and techniques for database applications
to benefit from powerful machine learning models, without compromising their transparency,
reliability and correctness that database systems have been offering for decades
Mapping the Discipline of the Olympic Games An Author-Cocitation Analysis
Get PDFThe authors conducted an author cocitation analysis on prominent authors writing about the Olympics during the 1990s. Author cocitation is an established bibliometric technique that can be used to measure the relative similarities of topics written about by the cited authors. This enables a visual representation of the “intellectual space” of the discipline, in this case the Olympics, to be created for the period under review. So core and peripheral research areas are identified, along with their major contributors. The representation appears as a two-dimensional cluster-enhanced map. Subject expertise was then applied to the results to place labels on the generated clusters of authors and their topics
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