TArC: Incrementally and semi-automatically collecting a Tunisian arabish corpus

This article describes the constitution process of the first morpho-syntactically annotated Tunisian Arabish Corpus (TArC). Arabish, also known as Arabizi, is a spontaneous coding of Arabic dialects in Latin characters and arithmographs (numbers used as letters). This code-system was developed by Arabic-speaking users of social media in order to facilitate the writing in the Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) and text messaging informal frameworks. There is variety in the realization of Arabish amongst dialects, and each Arabish code-system is under-resourced, in the same way as most of the Arabic dialects. In the last few years, the focus on Arabic dialects in the NLP field has considerably increased. Taking this into consideration, TArC will be a useful support for different types of analyses, computational and linguistic, as well as for NLP tools training. In this article we will describe preliminary work on the TArC semi-automatic construction process and some of the first analyses we developed on TArC. In addition, in order to provide a complete overview of the challenges faced during the building process, we will present the main Tunisian dialect characteristics and their encoding in Tunisian Arabish

A semantic web service-based architecture for the interoperability of e-government services

We propose a semantically-enhanced architecture to address the issues of interoperability and service integration in e-government web information systems. An architecture for a life event portal based on Semantic Web Services (SWS) is described. The architecture includes loosely-coupled modules organized in three distinct layers: User Interaction, Middleware and Web Services. The Middleware provides the semantic infrastructure for ontologies and SWS. In particular a conceptual model for integrating domain knowledge (Life Event Ontology), application knowledge (E-government Ontology) and service description (Service Ontology) is defined. The model has been applied to a use case scenario in e-government and the results of a system prototype have been reported to demonstrate some relevant features of the proposed approach

Recognition Criteria, Characteristics and Implications of the Fluvial to Marine Transition Zone in Ancient Deltaic Deposits (Lajas Formation, Argentina)

The seaward end of modern rivers is characterized by the interactions of marine and fluvial processes, a tract known as the fluvial to marine transition zone (FMTZ), which varies between systems due to the relative strength of these processes. To understand how fluvial and tidal process interactions and the FMTZ are preserved in the rock record, large-scale outcrops of deltaic deposits of the Middle Jurassic Lajas Formation (Neuquén Basin, Argentina) have been investigated. Fluvial-tidal indicators consist of cyclically distributed carbonaceous drapes in unidirectional, seaward-oriented cross-stratifications, which are interpreted as the result of tidal modulation of the fluvial current in the inner part of the FMTZ. Heterolithic deposits with dm-scale interbedding of coarser- and finer-grained facies with mixed fluvial and tidal affinities are interpreted to indicate fluvial discharge fluctuations (seasonality) and subordinate tidal influence. Many other potential tidal indicators are argued to be the result of fluvial-tidal interactions with overall fluvial dominance, or of purely fluvial processes. No purely tidal or tide-dominated facies were recognized in the studied deposits. Moreover, fluvial-tidal features are found mainly in deposits interpreted as interflood (forming during low river stage) in distal (delta front) or off-axis (interdistributary) parts of the system. Along major channel axes, the interpreted FMTZ is mainly represented by the fluvial-dominated section, whereas little or no tide-dominated section is identified. The system is interpreted to have been hyposynchronous with a poorly developed turbidity maximum. These conditions and the architectural elements described, including major and minor distributary channels, terminal distributary channels, mouth bars and crevasse mouth bars, are consistent with an interpretation of a fluvial-dominated, tide-influenced delta system and with an estimated short backwater length and inferred microtidal conditions. The improved identification of process interactions, and their preservation in ancient FMTZs, is fundamental to refining interpretations of ancient deltaic successions

Monitoring of railway freight vehicles using onboard systems

Rail freight transport plays a key role in reducing polluting emissions, so major efforts are underway to strengthen the sector. However, this requires an improvement in the performance of the vehicles, and their more efficient use, with an increase of the axle-load and the speed. In relation to these aspects it is important to strengthen the safety of railway transport, by improving the maintenance system and at the same time reducing the vehicle's impact on the line, which can be achieved both by improving the technical characteristics of the vehicles and by reducing the geometric irregularities of the track. The possibility of extending circulation on High Speed lines also to freight vehicles is nowadays of great interest. The improvement of the maintenance level can be achieved by adopting procedures based on the actual condition of the vehicle ("on condition") instead of on the basis of cyclical programming (time or mileage). This requires knowledge of the actual condition of the vehicle and its components, which can be achieved by installing onboard monitoring devices capable of analyzing the behavior of the vehicle in real time. The work illustrates the experimental tests carried out using an innovative monitoring system, installed on board two different types of freight vehicles used for intermodal transport. The tests were performed on different lines: on the historic Gotthard line, and on the new Gotthard high-speed line, including the base tunnel. In this way, it was possible to demonstrate the application of the monitoring system to a rail freight vehicle. Furthermore, the results obtained in terms of accelerations measured on two different types of lines were compared, detecting the different impact of the vehicle on good quality lines compared to lines with significant defects

Acrylic-melamine latex with controlled crosslinking capability

Crosslinkable polymers are highly demanded in applications where improved thermal, mechanical, and chemical strengths are required. Among crosslinkable polymers, those with film forming capability are of high technological interest, as in coatings and adhesives. In a scenario of increasing concern for sustainability and stricter environmental legislation, coatings industry has switched to water based products, like acrylic latexes. Crosslinkable latexes aim to improve the physical properties of coalesced latex films, over the levels attainable with thermoplastic latexes, which lack hardness, toughness and solvent resistance. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Coarse-grained deltas approaching shallow-water canyon heads: A case study from the Lower Pleistocene Messina Strait, Southern Italy

The tide-dominated Messina Strait (southern Italy) is a 3 km wide marine passageway, whose block-faulted borders form steep subaqueous zones incised by canyons and gullies. These erosional features retreat towards the shorelines and are often in direct connection with subaerial valley-bounded river deltas. High-energy density-flows generated by river floods periodically enter the canyon heads, attaining supercritical-flow regime and accreting large, upslope-migrating bedforms. Although these bedforms have been documented in recent studies, little attention has been paid to the definition of the type of delta entering canyon heads, the internal features of river-influenced deposits accumulated in the nearshore zone, and their interplay with tidal currents flowing axially to the strait. This study focuses on a Lower Pleistocene coarse-grained succession exposed along the north-eastern margin of the modern Messina Strait, investigated using conventional facies analysis and sedimentological logging, integrated with photogrammetric techniques and interpretation of drone-acquired imagery. Facies confinement between basement blocks suggests a subaqueous delta complex shed from the tectonically controlled margin of the ancient strait and entering shallowly submerged canyon heads. Basal breccias, conglomerates and pebbly sandstones exhibiting channel-form discontinuities and upslope dipping backsets are interpreted as cyclic-step and antidune deposits. Units composed of these facies are comprised between master erosional surfaces and tidal ravinement surfaces. The tidal ravinements suggest that canyon infill occurred during a major phase of sea-level rise, punctuated by minor falls and stillstands. These surfaces are overlain by mixed bioclastic–siliciclastic, arenitic, trough and planar cross-strata, representing dunes migrating roughly parallel to the palaeo-coastline and originated by tidal currents amplified by the narrowing of the ancient Messina Strait. Tidal-influenced sedimentation dominated over the fluvial-influenced processes during the late transgression, overfilling the canyon relief. The exceptionally good exposure of depositional architectures and facies characteristics is key to outline the general features of a specific type of delta system, fed by valley-bounded rivers and entering canyon heads in the nearshore of tectonically-controlled, tide-influenced steep strait margins. The pre-existing subaqueous incised topography forced the delta front to be split into lobe branches during the canyon infilling, hampering clinoform architectures and preserving large supercritical-flow sedimentary structures. This study suggests these as possible criteria for the recognition of similar systems in outcrop or subsurface

Current treatment approaches in CML.

Take home messages Five tyrosine kinase inhibitors are available, the treatment strategy is still challenging. Baseline risk, comorbidities, and patient and physician expectations play a pivotal role. Treatment-free remission is a new opportunity

Film-forming thermoresponsive nanogels for dermal protein delivery

Thermoresponsive nanogels (NGs) have great potential as nanocarriers because of their high in aqueous solutions, elevated biocompatibility, high loading capacity, controlled release of an active component, fast response to temperature change, and design flexibility. In this scenario, a NG dispersion with a film forming ability could be useful for designing a dermal platform for drugs delivery, where the delivering film/patch could be previously obtained or directly formed onto the surface where the release is required. Please click Additional Files below to see the full abstract

Study of wheel-rail adhesion during braking maneuvers

The present work aims to better understand the phenomenon of adhesion under degraded conditions during railway braking maneuvers with the aim of optimizing the anti-slip algorithms in order to reduce damage to the profiles of wheels and rails and to minimize the braking distance. The proposed approach is based on the analysis of experimental data acquired during braking tests carried out on track, considering different types of vehicles and different types of contaminants, able to reproduce the typical degraded adhesion conditions occurring during normal operation. The work describes a numerical model that allows to evaluate the dynamics of the vehicle during the braking operation and to correlate the pressures to the brake cylinder, which are related to the braking forces, and the angular velocities measured on the axles of the vehicle, with the adhesion coefficient