Automatic grammar induction from free text using insights from cognitive grammar

Automatic identification of the grammatical structure of a sentence is useful in many Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications such as Document Summarisation, Question Answering systems and Machine Translation. With the availability of syntactic treebanks, supervised parsers have been developed successfully for many major languages. However, for low-resourced minority languages with fewer digital resources, this poses more of a challenge. Moreover, there are a number of syntactic annotation schemes motivated by different linguistic theories and formalisms which are sometimes language specific and they cannot always be adapted for developing syntactic parsers across different language families. This project aims to develop a linguistically motivated approach to the automatic induction of grammatical structures from raw sentences. Such an approach can be readily adapted to different languages including low-resourced minority languages. We draw the basic approach to linguistic analysis from usage-based, functional theories of grammar such as Cognitive Grammar, Computational Paninian Grammar and insights from psycholinguistic studies. Our approach identifies grammatical structure of a sentence by recognising domain-independent, general, cognitive patterns of conceptual organisation that occur in natural language. It also reflects some of the general psycholinguistic properties of parsing by humans - such as incrementality, connectedness and expectation. Our implementation has three components: Schema Definition, Schema Assembly and Schema Prediction. Schema Definition and Schema Assembly components were implemented algorithmically as a dictionary and rules. An Artificial Neural Network was trained for Schema Prediction. By using Parts of Speech tags to bootstrap the simplest case of token level schema definitions, a sentence is passed through all the three components incrementally until all the words are exhausted and the entire sentence is analysed as an instance of one final construction schema. The order in which all intermediate schemas are assembled to form the final schema can be viewed as the parse of the sentence. Parsers for English and Welsh (a low-resource minority language) were developed using the same approach with some changes to the Schema Definition component. We evaluated the parser performance by (a) Quantitative evaluation by comparing the parsed chunks against the constituents in a phrase structure tree (b) Manual evaluation by listing the range of linguistic constructions covered by the parser and by performing error analysis on the parser outputs (c) Evaluation by identifying the number of edits required for a correct assembly (d) Qualitative evaluation based on Likert scales in online surveys

Research on evolution process of EMFs’ international expansion strategy

JEL： M1Under the background of globalization, international expansion of emerging market firms (EMFs) has become an emerging research front in international business research. Based on the Springboard Theory, LLL model and Uppsala internationalization process model, the thesis describes the bidirectional dependency between EMFs technologies and market resources using methods such as event path analysis, multi-case study and process analysis, and establishes an internationalization behavior framework which is based on the two motivations and the two dependable forces. The result shows that: (1) EMFs' two kinds of strategic behaviors of assets-seeking and opportunities-seeking continue to evolve with the development of the enterprise. In the first stage, There is no obvious difference. In the second stage, assets-seeking and opportunities-seeking are alternative dominant. In the third stage, opportunities-seeking are dominant. (2) EMFs' assets-seeking strategies are mainly driven by internal forces, and opportunities-seeking strategies are mainly driven by both internal and external forces; (3) EMFs leveraging international assets and opportunities through external linkage, and balancing their assets and opportunities through alternative domination strategic. (4) The internationalization process of EMFs is an enterprise‘s learning process under repeated linkage and leverage effect. The main contributions of this paper are: (1) to discuss the evolution rules and action mechanism of the two strategic motivations and dependable forces of EMFs in the internationalization process and help to establish clear external decision-making situation and logic for the internationalization of domestic enterprises; (2) to find out the features of EMFs to establish international chains to acquire the external assets and opportunities, and alternate domination features of the two strategies in the internationalization process, and help to better guide the implementation of internationalization strategies of domestic enterprises; (3) to establish an internationalization process model based on repeated linkage and alternate domination, uncover the nature of EMFs‘ internationalization process from the point of resource dependence, explain how to achieve the objective of globalization strategy for EMFS represented by China under late-developing disadvantages, expand the current EMFs-related theoretical boundary, and provide more scientific decision basis for "Going Out" of domestic enterprisesNo contexto da globalização, a expansão internacionalizada da empresa do mercado nascente(EMFs) já se tornou uma frente de investigação nascente na área de investigação do comércio internacional. No processo de internacionalização, devido à desvantagem da competição congênita, EMFs não segue totalmente o caminho internacional de empresa multinacional dos países desenvolvidos. Para isto, o Luo e o Tung propôs teoria de trampolim. Eles acham que EMFs obte ativos-chave das empresas do país desenvolvido através de uma série das expansões internacionalizadas radicais para compensar e superar sua desvantagem retardatária. Sobre a proposição da teoria de trampolim, a deficiência, que o incrementalismo internacionalizado não pode bem explicar os comportamentos internacionalizados de EMFs, foi compensada. No entanto, ainda existe muitos limites na investigação atual e a teoria atual falta das investigações para o mecanismo, regra e caraterística da evolução estratégica do processo da internacionalização de EMFs. À base da teoria de trampolim, modelo LLL e o incrementalismo internacionalizado Uppsala, este texto usa análise de caminho de evento, estudo de casos múltiplos, análise de processo e outros métodos, caracterizando o cenário de dependência dupla de tenologia de EMFs e de recurso de mercado, também estabelecendo o quadro de comportamento de internacionalização com base nos dois motivos e duas forças dependetens. O resultado apresenta que: (1) Os dois comportamentos estratégicos de busca de ativos e de busca de oportunidades de EMFs mudam continuamente com o desenvolvimento das fases de empresa. Na primeira fase, não houve diferença distinta; na segunda fase, as duas buscas de ativo e de oportunidade conduzem por sua vez; na terceira fase, tem a busca de oportunidade como o principal; (2) A estratégia de busca de ativos de EMFs é promovida por força inteira da empresa, mas a estratégia de busca de oportunidade é promovida juntamente pelas forças inteira e exterior da empresa; (3) EMFs alavanca ativos e oportunidades internacionalizadas pelo link externo e balança ativos e oportunidades através de alternação de comportamento de clideração; (4) A internacionalização de EMFs é um processo de aprendizagem organizacional sob o elo de link e a liderança alternada. As contribuições principais deste texto são: (1) Descobriu a regra de evolução e o mecanismo de função no processo de internacionalização dos dois motivos estratégicos e a força dependente, ajudando a estabelecer o cenário e a lógica de tomada de decisão externos claros para a internacionalização das empresas do nosso país; (2) Revelou a característica que a EMFs alavanca ativos e oportunidades externos através de estabelecimento de link de internacionalização e a característica de liderança alterna das duas estratégia, ajudando a lidar melhor a execução da estratégia de internacionalização das empresas do nosso país; (3) Estabeleceu um modelo do processo de internacionalização com base na elo de link e liderança alterna e relevou a natureza do processo de internacionalização de EMFs do ponto de vista da dependência de recursos, explicando como o EMFs caracterizala pela China realizou o objetivo de estratégia de globalização sob a condição de desvantagem retardatário e expandiu os limites teóricos existentes de EMFs, e ofereceu os bases da decisão mais científicos às empresas domésticas para "Vai globalmente"

Pathways to diversification

A fundamental research question in regional economic development, is why some regions are able to diversify into new products and industries, while others continue to face challenges in diversification? This doctorate research explores the different pathways to diversification. It follows the three-stage modular structure of DBA for Cranfield School of Management. This thesis consists of a systematic literature review, a single qualitative case study on UAE, and a research synthesis of published cases on Singapore, Norway and UAE. The linking document provides a summary of the three projects and consolidates findings and contributions into a path creation model that provides new understanding on the pathways to regional diversifications. This research integrates existing theoretical foundations of evolutionary economic geography, institutional economic geography, path dependence, industry relatedness, economic complexity, and path creation into a unified conceptual path creation model. It generates propositions, builds a framework and develops a matrix for path creation that integrate context, actors, factors, mechanisms and outcomes shaping regional diversification. It finds that in the context of path dependence and existing conditions of a region, economic actors undertake strategic measures to influence the institutional capabilities to accumulate knowledge and trigger indigenous creation, anchoring, branching, and clustering diversification mechanisms to create complex varieties of related and unrelated diversification outcomes. The institutional collaboration capabilities are found to be instrumental in accumulating knowledge and determining the relatedness and complexity of diversification outcomes. This research further provides a set of integrated platform strategies to guide policy-makers on setting up the pathways to regional diversification

From research to primary care: a knowledge mobilisation study in osteoarthritis

Background Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common long-term condition in primary care and is one of the most frequent causes of pain, loss of function and disability. Research evidence alone does not always lead to changes in practice that benefit patients, and OA is often not treated as per evidenced-based guidelines. The aims of this thesis were: (i) to identify lessons learnt from a research study and implementation project regarding OA best care, in order to provide insight into the knowledge mobilisation (KM) process in primary care (ii) to develop a toolkit to optimise KM for OA in primary care. Methods A systematic review and thematic synthesis were conducted to explore the factors affecting the implementation of evidence-based guidelines for OA in primary care. Analysis of data from three focus groups (n=21), and qualitative interviews (n=13), were conducted with key stakeholders to understand KM in primary care. A triangulation protocol of the empirical findings was used to generate draft recommendation statements which were subsequently refined in a consensus exercise with stakeholders (n=27), at a national knowledge mobilisation event. This informed the development of a toolkit to optimise KM for OA in primary care. Results KM of research evidence for OA in primary care is complex and multifaceted and influenced by a range of patient and clinician motivators. KM is optimised with consideration of specific primary care contextual factors. Adopting a whole practice approach was beneficial in circumnavigating potential implementation challenges and co-producing implementation plans relevant to the local context. The nature and impact of facilitation in optimising KM by mediating both internal and external contextual factors was shown. Clinical-academic collaboration and engaging in ‘knowledge networks’ optimised the uptake of evidence for OA. The knowledge mobiliser role was central to driving knowledge into practice in a contextualised way and was adopted by people with different characteristics (in terms of status, power and role). The perceived importance of patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) in KM was highlighted, yet uncertainty exists regarding the impact and role of PPIE in KM. Triangulation of the three data sets produced a typology of six key empirical domains and a draft set of recommendation statements. The statements were refined following a consensus exercise with stakeholders (n=27) and the final toolkit developed. Conclusions This empirical study of KM demonstrated the importance of the knowledge mobiliser, underpinned by a strong academic collaboration (and infrastructure for KM) to overcome contextual barriers to KM in primary care. Further work is needed to better understand the role of PPIE in KM and evaluate the utility and transferability of the implementation toolkit

Management Responses to Online Reviews: Big Data From Social Media Platforms

User-generated content from virtual communities helps businesses develop and sustain competitive advantages, which leads to asking how firms can strategically manage that content. This research, which consists of two studies, discusses management response strategies for hotel firms to gain a competitive advantage and improve customer relationship management by leveraging big data, social media analytics, and deep learning techniques. Since negative reviews' harmful effects are greater than positive comments' contribution, firms must strategise their responses to intervene in and minimise those damages. Although current literature includes a sheer amount of research that presents effective response strategies to negative reviews, they mostly overlook an extensive classification of response strategies. The first study consists of two phases and focuses on comprehensive response strategies to only negative reviews. The first phase is explorative and presents a correlation analysis between response strategies and overall ratings of hotels. It also reveals the differences in those strategies based on hotel class, average customer rating, and region. The second phase investigates effective response strategies for increasing the subsequent ratings of returning customers using logistic regression analysis. It presents that responses involving statements of admittance of mistake(s), specific action, and direct contact requests help increase following ratings of previously dissatisfied returning customers. In addition, personalising the response for better customer relationship management is particularly difficult due to the significant variability of textual reviews with various topics. The second study examines the impact of personalised management responses to positive and negative reviews on rating growth, integrating a novel method of multi-topic matching approach with a panel data analysis. It demonstrates that (a) personalised responses improve future ratings of hotels; (b) the effect of personalised responses is stronger for luxury hotels in increasing future ratings. Lastly, practical insights are provided

The evaluation of ontologies: quality, reuse and social factors

Finding a “good” or the “right” ontology is a growing challenge in the ontology domain, where one of the main aims is to share and reuse existing semantics and knowledge. Before reusing an ontology, knowledge engineers not only have to find a set of appropriate ontologies for their search query, but they should also be able to evaluate those ontologies according to different internal and external criteria. Therefore, ontology evaluation is at the heart of ontology selection and has received a considerable amount of attention in the literature.Despite the importance of ontology evaluation and selection and the widespread research on these topics, there are still many unanswered questions and challenges when it comes to evaluating and selecting ontologies for reuse. Most of the evaluation metrics and frameworks in the literature are mainly based on a limited set of internal characteristics, e.g., content and structure of ontologies and ignore how they are used and evaluated by communities. This thesis aimed to investigate the notion of quality and reusability in the ontology domain and to explore and identify the set of metrics that can affect the process of ontology evaluation and selection for reuse. [Continues.

Advances in Nanofibers

Book Advances in Nanofibers is a research publication that covers original research on developments within the Nanofibers field of study. The book is a collection of reviewed scholarly contributions written by different authors. Each scholarly contribution represents a chapter and each chapter is complete in itself but related to the major topics and objectives. The target audience comprises scholars and specialists in the field

Multiscale Quantitative Imaging of Human Femoral Heads Using X-ray Microtomography

PhDClinical diagnostic tools provide limited information on the underlying structural and mechanical properties of bone-tissue affected by degenerative and bone metabolic diseases. In-vivo bone failure studies provide limited information due to constraints such as X-ray dosage, cost and various other practicalities. In-vitro studies are thus required to enhance understanding of this phenomenon. The aims of this study were to use quantitative high-definition X-ray Micro-Tomography (XMT) to assess factors contributing to pathological and non-pathological bone failure and repair in relation to the mechanics of whole human femoral heads. XMT images of one normal and six pathological femoral heads were collected at 26 – 8.8 μm voxel resolution and evaluated to determine structural features; bone mineral concentration (BMC); and using image analysis, identify microcallus formations. In addition, in-vitro compression tests were carried out on specimens taken from regions with different anatomical loading. Bone quality was then related to the anatomical loading and BMC. Results from non-pathological tissue where used to establish a baseline for measurements of structural features. Microcallus formations where identified and used as markers to map the occurrence of bone damage. In osteoarthritic (OA) heads, the damage was found to be concentrated in localised clusters. Conversely, in the osteoporotic head damage was distributed homogeneously throughout the entire specimen. No significant difference in the BMC was observed, however there was a iii significant difference in the bone quality values between the non-pathological and pathological heads, and also between the pathologies. In-vitro mechanical testing revealed a difference in the mechanical properties of OA trabecular bone in relation to bone quality measurements but the samples exhibited no significant correlation to anatomical loading. X-ray Ultra Microscopy (XuM) at 200nm and 775nm voxel resolution was used to investigate the nano-morphology of individual trabeculae. The XuM images showed differences in bone structure and fewer osteocyte lacunae present close to fracture site. XuM also identified micro-cracks within trabeculae that were encased by microcallus formations. The application of novel quantitative high definition X-ray imaging to clinically relevant tissue at multiple length scales has provided new metrological data on the distribution of damage within pathological tissue. Insight into the vulnerability of diseased tissue to damage could ultimately lead to improved diagnosis from clinical radiographs