Using a Logic Programming Framework to Control Database Query Dialogues in Natural Language

We present a natural language question/answering system to interface the University of Évora databases that uses clarification dialogs in order to clarify user questions. It was developed in an integrated logic programming framework, based on constraint logic programming using the GnuProlog(-cx) language [2,11] and the ISCO framework [1]. The use of this LP framework allows the integration of Prolog-like inference mechanisms with classes and inheritance, constraint solving algorithms and provides the connection with relational databases, such as PostgreSQL. This system focus on the questions’ pragmatic analysis, to handle ambiguity, and on an efficient dialogue mechanism, which is able to place relevant questions to clarify the user intentions in a straightforward manner. Proper Nouns resolution and the pp-attachment problem are also handled. This paper briefly presents this innovative system focusing on its ability to correctly determine the user intention through its dialogue capability

A study of high frequency nonlinear combustion instability in baffled annular liquid propellant rocket motors

Computer program contains mathematical model which provides relationship between engine gas dynamics and combustion processes. Mathematically simulated explosions initiate gas disturbances. Design methods for damping disturbances can be studied to prevent future engine shutdown or destruction

Planar Two-Loop Five-Parton Amplitudes from Numerical Unitarity

We compute a complete set of independent leading-color two-loop five-parton amplitudes in QCD. These constitute a fundamental ingredient for the next-to-next-to-leading order QCD corrections to three-jet production at hadron colliders. We show how to consistently consider helicity amplitudes with external fermions in dimensional regularization, allowing the application of a numerical variant of the unitarity approach. Amplitudes are computed by exploiting a decomposition of the integrand into master and surface terms that is independent of the parton type. Master integral coefficients are numerically computed in either finite-field or floating-point arithmetic and combined with known analytic master integrals. We recompute two-loop leading-color four-parton amplitudes as a check of our implementation. Results are presented for all independent four- and five-parton processes including contributions with massless closed fermion loops.Comment: v3: corrected wrong signs for five-gluon $N_f^2$ amplitudes with vanishing tree

Efficiency of a Brownian information machine

A Brownian information machine extracts work from a heat bath through a feedback process that exploits the information acquired in a measurement. For the paradigmatic case of a particle trapped in a harmonic potential, we determine how power and efficiency for two variants of such a machine operating cyclically depend on the cycle time and the precision of the positional measurements. Controlling only the center of the trap leads to a machine that has zero efficiency at maximum power whereas additional optimal control of the stiffness of the trap leads to an efficiency bounded between 1/2, which holds for maximum power, and 1 reached even for finite cycle time in the limit of perfect measurements.Comment: 9 pages, 2 figure

Celebrity in the mirror: the role of celebrity endorser in men's grooming communication

Presently men’s grooming is seen as a broad category. The problem comes when the previous research about male consumer behavior have neglected aspects in this subject. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the role of celebrity endorsement in men’s grooming communication to Generation Y. After identifying some gaps in the literature, with regard to this subject, the most important variables were defined in order to develop the investigation and draw conclusions through statistical analysis and validation, about the role celebrity endorsement as source of credibility in men’s grooming communication. According to the design and methodology, this research was sustained through in depth marketing analysis (secondary data), and primary data collection via online questionnaire, whereby 168 male respondents, from Brazil and Portugal, were exposed to some advertisement pieces in order to express their opinion and feelings about the subject under investigation. The findings reveal all the relationships among the variables, suggested by the literature, have occurred, presenting a significant relationship in terms of Source Credibility scale dimensions – attractiveness, trustworthiness and expertise. This investigation aims to contribute to the existing literature with important conclusions about the role of celebrity endorsement and its credibility in men’s grooming advertisement.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Hamiltonian Derivations of the Generalized Jarzynski Equalities under Feedback Control

In the presence of feedback control by "Maxwell's demon," the second law of thermodynamics and the nonequilibrium equalities such as the Jarzynski equality need to be generalized. In this paper, we derive the generalized Jarzynski equalities for classical Hamiltonian dynamics based on the Liouville's theorem, which is the same approach as the original proof of the Jarzynski equality [Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 2690 (1997)]. The obtained equalities lead to the generalizations of the second law of thermodynamics for the Hamiltonian systems in the presence of feedback control.Comment: Proceedings of "STATPHYS - Kolkata VII", November 26-30, 2010, Kolkata, Indi

Short term effects of irradiance on the growth of Pterocladiella capillacea (Gelidiales, Rhodophyta)

Pterocladiella capillacea has been economically exploited for agar extraction in the Azores for many years. Harvesting dropped to a full stop in the early 1990s due to a population collapse, but restarted in 2013. Since then it has been intensively harvested and overexploitation must be prevented, with both sustainable harvesting and effective cultivation practices. This study represents the first attempt to determine optimal conditions for P. capillacea production in the Azores, and evaluates its vegetative growth in two experiments using von Stosch’s medium designed to test entire thallus and tips portions response to different irradiances (30, 70 and 150 μmol photons m¯² s¯¹). The best relative growth rate (RGR) was recorded at 150 μmol photons m¯² s¯¹ for the entire thalli and tips after two-weeks and three-weeks, respectively, indicating that an acclimation period is necessary to assure the growth of this alga under experimental conditions. Higher RGR was obtained at higher irradiance (3.98 ± 2.10% fm day¯¹), but overall, growth rates were low or negative. Epiphytes were a serious problem towards the end of the entire thallus experiments, where Feldmannia irregularis proliferate at all irradiances. Future cultivation approaches complemented with other relevant environmental factors (e.g. pH, photoperiod, salinity), are recommended.FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia projects UID/BIA/00329/2013, 2015 - 2018 and UID/BIA/00329/2019, CIRN (Centro de Investigação de Recursos Naturais, University of the Azores), and CIIMAR (Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Porto, Portugal). RFP was supported by a doctoral grant M3.1.2/F/024/2011, Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Directed flow as effect of transient matter rotation in hadron and nucleus collisions

We discuss directed flow introduced for description of nucleus collisions and consider its possible behavior in hadronic and nuclei reactions due to rotation of the transient matter.Comment: 18 pages, 6 figure