135 research outputs found

    Reflective writing analysis approach based on semantic concepts : an evaluation of WordNet affect efficiency

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    Automatic analysis of reflective writing involves identifying indicator strings and using string matching or rule matching processes, which flag sections of a text containing reflective material. The problem with the string-based approach is its inability to deal with knowledge inference from the text, such as the content, context, relevance, clarity, and interconnection, which can be identified by semantic analysis. The semantic analysis depends mainly on mapping the text into stored knowledge sources, such as WordNet, and analyzing the associations in the underlying knowledge source. In this paper, a semantic-based approach for reflective writing analysis is proposed, in which the input text, which is being analyzed, is mapped into semantic concepts. Moreover, a machine learning (ML) approach for reflective writing identification and analysis has been implemented to overcome the limitations of rule execution and keyword matching. The proposed approach addresses the efficiency of using several effective concepts, correlated with effective words that are identified in WordNet-Affect. The input text is classified into reflective or non-reflective categories, after which the input text is classified into various reflective classes, based on the type of the document. Moreover, the concepts in WordNet-Affect are evaluated and analyzed to demonstrate their effects on classification and labeling tasks

    Seed-mediated atomic-scale reconstruction of silver manganate nanoplates for oxygen reduction towards high-energy aluminum-air flow batteries

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    Aluminum-air batteries are promising candidates for next-generation high-energy-density storage, but the inherent limitations hinder their practical use. Here, we show that silver nanoparticle-mediated silver manganate nanoplates are a highly active and chemically stable catalyst for oxygen reduction in alkaline media. By means of atomic-resolved transmission electron microscopy, we find that the formation of stripe patterns on the surface of a silver manganate nanoplate originates from the zigzag atomic arrangement of silver and manganese, creating a high concentration of dislocations in the crystal lattice. This structure can provide high electrical conductivity with low electrode resistance and abundant active sites for ion adsorption. The catalyst exhibits outstanding performance in a flow-based aluminum-air battery, demonstrating high gravimetric and volumetric energy densities of similar to 2552 Wh kg(Al)(-1) and similar to 6890 Wh I-Al(-1) at 100 mA cm(-2), as well as high stability during a mechanical recharging process

    Clinical significance of altered nm23-H1, EGFR, RB and p53 expression in bilharzial bladder cancer

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Clinical characterization of bladder carcinomas is still inadequate using the standard clinico-pathological prognostic markers. We assessed the correlation between <it>nm23-H1</it>, <it>Rb, EGFR </it>and <it>p53 </it>in relation to the clinical outcome of patients with muscle invasive bilharzial bladder cancer (MI-BBC).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p><it>nm23-H1</it>, <it>Rb, EGFR and p53 </it>expression was assessed in 59 MI-BBC patients using immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription (RT-PCR) and was correlated to the standard clinico-pathological prognostic factors, patient's outcome and the overall survival (OS) rate.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overexpression of <it>EGFR </it>and <it>p53 </it>proteins was detected in 66.1% and 35.6%; respectively. Loss of <it>nm23-H1</it>and <it>Rb </it>proteins was detected in 42.4% and 57.6%; respectively. Increased <it>EGFR and </it>loss of <it>nm23-H1 </it>RNA were detected in 61.5% and 36.5%; respectively. There was a statistically significant correlation between <it>p53 </it>and <it>EGFR </it>overexpression (<it>p </it>< 0.0001), <it>nm23 </it>loss (protein and RNA), lymph node status (<it>p </it>< 0.0001); between the incidence of local recurrence and <it>EGFR </it>RNA overexpression (p= 0.003) as well as between the incidence of metastasis and altered <it>Rb </it>expression (<it>p </it>= 0.026), <it>p53 </it>overexpression (<it>p </it>< 0.0001) and mutation (<it>p </it>= 0.04). Advanced disease stage correlated significantly with increased <it>EGFR </it>(protein and RNA) (<it>p </it>= 0.003 & 0.01), reduced <it>nm23-H1 </it>RNA (<it>p </it>= 0.02), altered <it>Rb </it>(<it>p </it>= 0.023), and <it>p53 </it>overexpression (<it>p </it>= 0.004). OS rates correlated significantly, in univariate analysis, with <it>p53 </it>overexpression (<it>p </it>= 0.011), increased <it>EGFR </it>(protein and RNA, <it>p </it>= 0.034&0.031), <it>nm23-H1 RNA </it>loss (<it>p </it>= 0.021) and aberrations of ≄ 2 genes. However, multivariate analysis showed that only high <it>EGFR </it>overexpression, metastatic recurrence, high tumor grade and the combination of ≄ 2 affected markers were independent prognostic factors.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p><it>nm23-H1, EGFR </it>and <it>p53 </it>could be used as prognostic biomarkers in MI-BBC patients. In addition to the standard pathological prognostic factors, a combination of these markers (≄ 2) has synergistic effects in stratifying patients into variable risk groups. The higher is the number of altered biomarkers, the higher will be the risk of disease progression and death.</p

    Contrasting patterns of population structure and gene flow facilitate exploration of connectivity in two widely distributed temperate octocorals

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    This is the final version of the article. Available from Springer Nature via the DOI in this record.Connectivity is an important component of metapopulation dynamics in marine systems and can influence population persistence, migration rates and conservation decisions associated with Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). In this study, we compared the genetic diversity, gene flow and population structure of two octocoral species, Eunicella verrucosa and Alcyonium digitatum, in the northeast Atlantic (ranging from the northwest of Ireland and the southern North Sea, to southern Portugal), using two panels of thirteen and eight microsatellite loci, respectively. Our results identified regional genetic structure in E. verrucosa partitioned between populations from southern Portugal, northwest Ireland, and Britain/France; subsequent hierarchical analysis of population structure also indicated reduced gene flow between southwest Britain and northwest France. However, over a similar geographical area, A. digitatum showed little evidence of population structure, suggesting high gene flow and/or a large effective population size; indeed, the only significant genetic differentiation detected in A. digitatum occurred between North Sea samples and those from the English Channel/northeast Atlantic. In both species the vast majority of gene flow originated from sample sites within regions, with populations in southwest Britain being the predominant source of contemporary exogenous genetic variants for the populations studied. Unsurprisingly, historical patterns of gene flow appeared more complex, though again southwest Britain appeared an important source of genetic variation for both species. Our findings have major conservation implications, particularly for E. verrucosa, a protected species in UK waters and listed by the IUCN as ‘Vulnerable’, and for the designation and management of European MPAs.We thank Natural England (project No. RP0286, contract No. SAE 03-02-146), the NERC (grant No. NE/L002434/1) and the University of Exeter for funding this research. Additional funding for sample collection, travel and microsatellite development was provided by the EU Framework 7 ASSEMBLE programme, agreement no. 227799, and NERC grant No. NBAF-362

    The mediating effects of first call resolution on call centers’ performance

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    This article aims to examine and validate the prepositions of the mediating impacts of first call resolution (FCR) on caller satisfaction within the contact center industry.A survey of 168 call center managers was analyzed through structural equation modeling, constituting an overall 43.3 per cent response rate for this study.The results show that FCR positively mediates the relationship between knowledge management, technology-based CRM and caller satisfaction within the inbound customer contact centers.We have empirically assessed call centers/contact centers’ success through caller satisfaction (an observed variable through their 2009 customer survey in Malaysia).Consequently, this study cannot generalize its findings in all other countries.Our strong argument is that within the operational variables, FCR is statistically significant and positively mediates knowledge management applications. But very important to note is that the customer contact centers are first touch points to a company's goods or services, and that many other factors such as product quality, company policy, target markets, decision-making processes and so on are also determinants of caller satisfaction, but fall outside the operational control of contact center activities.This research has empirically established that a company's capability in effectively acquiring a valid understanding of its current and potential customers’ information through CRM technologies will positively impact its acquisitions, customization, management and retention of customers.It also avails both the academic and contact center management the benefits that are inherent in measuring the impact of knowledge management and technology-based CRM on inbound FCR and caller satisfaction.This study finally recommends alternative areas for future research

    Observation of triple J/ψ meson production in proton-proton collisions

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    Data availability: Tabulated results are provided in the HEPData record for this analysis71. Release and preservation of data used by the CMS Collaboration as the basis for publications is guided by the CMS policy as stated in CMS data preservation, re-use and open access policy.Code availability: The CMS core software is publically available at https://github.com/cms-sw/cmssw.Copyright . Protons consist of three valence quarks, two up-quarks and one down-quark, held together by gluons and a sea of quark-antiquark pairs. Collectively, quarks and gluons are referred to as partons. In a proton-proton collision, typically only one parton of each proton undergoes a hard scattering – referred to as single-parton scattering – leaving the remainder of each proton only slightly disturbed. Here, we report the study of double- and triple-parton scatterings through the simultaneous production of three J/ψ mesons, which consist of a charm quark-antiquark pair, in proton-proton collisions recorded with the CMS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider. We observed this process – reconstructed through the decays of J/ψ mesons into pairs of oppositely charged muons – with a statistical significance above five standard deviations. We measured the inclusive fiducial cross-section to be 272+141−104(stat)±17(syst)fb, and compared it to theoretical expectations for triple-J/ψ meson production in single-, double- and triple-parton scattering scenarios. Assuming factorization of multiple hard-scattering probabilities in terms of single-parton scattering cross-sections, double- and triple-parton scattering are the dominant contributions for the measured process.SCOAP3.Change history: 27 February 2023A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41567-023-01992-
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