On the Unit Graph of a Noncommutative Ring

Let $R$ be a ring (not necessary commutative) with non-zero identity. The unit graph of $R$, denoted by $G(R)$, is a graph with elements of $R$ as its vertices and two distinct vertices $a$ and $b$ are adjacent if and only if $a+b$ is a unit element of $R$. It was proved that if $R$ is a commutative ring and \fm is a maximal ideal of $R$ such that |R/\fm|=2, then $G(R)$ is a complete bipartite graph if and only if (R, \fm) is a local ring. In this paper we generalize this result by showing that if $R$ is a ring (not necessary commutative), then $G(R)$ is a complete $r$-partite graph if and only if (R, \fm) is a local ring and $r=|R/m|=2^n$, for some $n \in \N$ or $R$ is a finite field. Among other results we show that if $R$ is a left Artinian ring, $2 \in U(R)$ and the clique number of $G(R)$ is finite, then $R$ is a finite ring.Comment: 6 pages. To appear in Algebra Colloquiu

Demystifying the Complexity of Washback Effect on Learners in the IELTS Academic Writing Test

Test-takers’ perceptions of the tests can often provide abundant information for the test designers. This study sought to explore the perspectives of learners involved in the IELTS Academic Writing Module (AWM) courses. In particular, the study explored learner perspectives of motivation, test-taking anxiety, test-taking strategies and the expectations students bring to their courses. This study adopted a mixed methodology and collected data through questionnaires, observations, and interviews. The results didn’t indicate a statistically significant difference for the within-subjects variable of learners’ perspectives, meaning that the learner perspectives’ mean and change from one time to another was not noticeably significant. Further, it indicated a complex relationship between exams and learners’ perspectives. However, Analysis of Covariance revealed significant effects for IELTS Writing Preparation course and the learners’ improvements in their Writing scores. These findings led to the proposal of a new model for washback which took into account learners’ perspectives and provided what should prove to be a useful framework for future studies in the emerging field of washback. The picture that emerged from this study is that the IELTS tests and preparation courses, powerful as they are, cannot be efficient agents for profound changes in learners’ perspectives

IRANIAN EFL TEACHERS’ EXPECTATIONS AND PERCEPTIONS ABOUT TEACHER CLASSROOM JUSTICE TRAINING

This study explores language teachers’ perceptions about receiving training on the main aspects of classroom justice. A group of 77 Iranian English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers, chosen through maximum variation sampling, completed a demographic informational scale and an open-ended classroom justice questionnaire. The data were analyzed through MAXQDA software, taking an interactive (i.e., both deductive and inductive) approach to content analysis. The research results reveal that the teachers mainly (1) had no prior experience of receiving classroom justice training; (2) approved the essentiality of EFL teachers’ being trained for the rudimental elements of classroom justice; (3) expected to learn more about the different dimensions, principles, and domains of classroom justice in teacher justice training courses; and (4) had positive attitudes toward the usefulness of classroom justice training for enhancing teachers’ pedagogical knowledge, skills, and practices. These results can encourage L2 policymakers and teacher educators to inculcate training courses on theory and practice of classroom justice into L2 teacher education programs with the prospect of empowering teachers to implement justice in their classroom behaviors and ultimately, increase their professional effectiveness

On multiplication Γ-modules

In this article, we study some properties of multiplication M Γ - modules and their prime M Γ -submodules. We verify the conditions of ACC and DCC on prime M Γ -submodules of multiplication M Γ - module

Some properties of algebras of real-valued measurable functions

summary:Let $M(X, \mathscr{A})$ ($M^{*}(X, \mathscr{A})$) be the $f$-ring of all (bounded) real-measurable functions on a $T$-measurable space $(X, \mathscr{A})$, let $M_{K}(X, \mathscr{A})$ be the family of all $f\in M(X, \mathscr{A})$ such that ${{\,\mathrm{coz}}}(f)$ is compact, and let $M_{\infty }(X, \mathscr{A})$ be all $f\in M(X, \mathscr{A})$ that $\lbrace x\in X: |f(x)|\ge \frac{1}{n}\rbrace$ is compact for any $n\in \mathbb{N}$. We introduce realcompact subrings of $M(X, \mathscr{A})$, we show that $M^{*}(X, \mathscr{A})$ is a realcompact subring of $M(X, \mathscr{A})$, and also $M(X, \mathscr{A})$ is a realcompact if and only if $(X, \mathscr{A})$ is a compact measurable space. For every nonzero real Riesz map $\varphi : M(X, \mathscr{A})\rightarrow \mathbb{R}$, we prove that there is an element $x_0\in X$ such that $\varphi (f) =f(x_0)$ for every $f\in M(X, \mathscr{A})$ if $(X, \mathscr{A})$ is a compact measurable space. We confirm that $M_{\infty }(X, \mathscr{A})$ is equal to the intersection of all free maximal ideals of $M^{*}(X, \mathscr{A})$, and also $M_{K}(X, \mathscr{A})$ is equal to the intersection of all free ideals of $M(X, \mathscr{A})$ (or $M^{*}(X, \mathscr{A})$). We show that $M_{\infty }(X, \mathscr{A})$ and $M_{K}(X, \mathscr{A})$ do not have free ideal

Shallow Semantic Parsing of Persian Sentences

PACLIC 23 / City University of Hong Kong / 3-5 December 200

Individual Verifiability for E-Voting, From Formal Verification To Machine Learning

The cornerstone of secure electronic voting protocols lies in the principle of individual verifiability. This thesis delves into the intricate task of harmonizing this principle with two other crucial aspects: ballot privacy and coercion-resistance. In the realm of electronic voting, individual verifiability serves as a critical safeguard. It empowers each voter with the ability to confirm that their vote has been accurately recorded and counted in the final tally. This thesis explores the intricate balance between this pivotal aspect of electronic voting and the equally important facets of ballot privacy and coercion-resistance. Ballot privacy, or the assurance that a voter's choice remains confidential, is a fundamental right in democratic processes. It ensures that voters can express their political preferences without fear of retribution or discrimination. On the other hand, coercion-resistance refers to the system's resilience against attempts to influence or manipulate a voter's choice. Furthermore, this thesis also ventures into an empirical analysis of the effectiveness of individual voter checks in ensuring a correct election outcome. It considers a scenario where an adversary possesses additional knowledge about the individual voters and can strategically decide which voters to target. The study aims to estimate the degree to which these checks can still guarantee the accuracy of the election results under such circumstances. In essence, this thesis embarks on a comprehensive exploration of the dynamics between individual verifiability, ballot privacy, and coercion-resistance in secure electronic voting protocols. It also seeks to quantify the effectiveness of individual voter checks in maintaining the integrity of election outcomes, particularly when faced with a knowledgeable and capable adversary. The first contribution of this thesis is revisiting the seminal coercion-resistant e-voting protocol by Juels, Catalano, and Jakobsson (JCJ), examining its usability and practicality. It discusses the credential handling system proposed by Neumann et al., which uses a smart card to unlock or fake credentials via a PIN code. The thesis identifies several security concerns with the JCJ protocol, including an attack on coercion-resistance due to information leakage from the removal of duplicate ballots. It also addresses the issues of PIN errors and the single point of failure associated with the smart card. To mitigate these vulnerabilities, we propose hardware-flexible protocols that allow credentials to be stored by ordinary means while still being PIN-based and providing PIN error resilience. One of these protocols features a linear tally complexity, ensuring efficiency and scalability for large-scale electronic voting systems. The second contribution of this thesis pertains to the exploration and validation of the ballot privacy definition proposed by Cortier et. al., particularly in the context of an adversarial presence. Our exploration involves both the Selene and the MiniVoting abstract scheme. We apply Cortier's definition of ballot privacy to this scheme, investigating how it holds up under this framework. To ensure the validity of our findings, we employ the use of tools for machine-checked proof. This method provides a rigorous and reliable means of verifying our results, ensuring that our conclusions are both accurate and trustworthy. The final contribution of this thesis is a detailed examination and analysis of the Estonian election results. This analysis is conducted in several phases, each contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the election process. The first phase involves a comprehensive marginal analysis of the Estonian election results. We compute upper bounds for several margins, providing a detailed statistical overview of the election outcome. This analysis allows us to identify key trends and patterns in the voting data, laying the groundwork for the subsequent phase of our research. We then train multiple binary classifiers to predict whether a voter is likely to verify their vote. This predictive modeling enables an adversary to gain insights into voter behavior and the factors that may influence their decision to verify their vote. With the insights gained from the previous phases, an adversarial classification algorithm for verifying voters is trained. The likelihood of such an adversary is calculated using various machine learning models, providing a more robust assessment of potential threats to the election process

On the Relationship between the Implementation of Formative Assessment Strategies and Iranian EFL Teachers’ Self-Efficacy: Do Gender and Experience Make a Difference?*

This study sought to examine the relationship between the use of formative assessment strategies and the Iranian EFL teachers’ sense of self-efficacy. Moreover, this study investigated the relationships and interactions between the EFL teachers’ use of formative assessment strategies, their gender, level of experience, and sense of self-efficacy. This is a descriptive ex post facto design study which employed a three-part questionnaire, including demographic information, teachers’ formative assessment strategies, and teachers’ sense of self-efficacy. In order to collect data, sixty-one EFL teachers, including thirty-one female and thirty male participants who were selected through convenience sampling, completed the questionnaire. Multiple statistical strategies were employed to analyze the research questions of the study. The findings of Pearson’s and Spearman Rho correlation indicated that the EFL teachers’ use of formative assessment strategies was positively correlated with their sense of self-efficacy. However, the results of eta correlation coefficients revealed that there was no statistically significant relationship between the teachers’ implementation of formative assessment strategies and two other variables of gender and level of experience. Finally, the results of a three way factorial Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) evinced that there was no statistically significant interaction between the teachers’ use of formative assessment strategies, teachers’ sense of self-efficacy, their gender, and level of experience. Therefore, when the teachers become more aware of the ways to implement formative assessment strategies to inform instruction, their sense of self-efficacy can increase. This study has some implications in language testing, English pedagogy, and syllabus design and materials development