Problem-solving recognition in scientific text

As far back as Aristotle, problems and solutions have been recognised as a core pattern of thought, and in particular of the scientific method. Therefore, they play a significant role in the understanding of academic texts from the scientific domain. Capturing knowledge of such problem-solving utterances would provide a deep insight into text understanding. In this dissertation, I present the task of problem-solving recognition in scientific text. To date, work on problem-solving recognition has received both theoretical and computational treatment. However, theories of problem-solving put forward by applied linguists lack practical adaptation to the domain of scientific text, and computational analyses have been narrow in scope. This dissertation provides a new model of problem-solving. It is an adaptation of Hoey's (2001) model, tailored to the scientific domain. As far as modelling problems is concerned, I divided the text string expressing the statement of a problem into sub-components; this is one of my main contributions. I have mapped these sub-components to functional roles, and thus operationalised the model in such a way that it can be annotated by humans reliably. As far as the problem-solving relationship between problems and solutions is concerned, my model takes into account the local network of relationships existing between problems. In order to validate this new model, a large-scale annotation study was conducted. The annotation study shows significant agreement amongst the annotators. The model is automated in two stages using a blend of classical machine learning and state-of-the-art deep learning methods. The first stage involves the implementation of problem and solution recognisers which operate at the sentence level. The second stage is more complex in that it recognises problems and solutions jointly at the token-level, and also establishes whether there is a problem-solving relationship between each of them. One of the best performers at this stage was a Neural Relational Topic Model. The results from automation show that the model is able to recognise problem-solving utterances in text to a high degree of accuracy. My work has already shown a positive impact in both industry and academia. One start-up is currently using the model for representing academic articles, and a Japanese collaborator has received a grant to adapt my model to Japanese text

E-Learning: Designing to Improve Learner Experiences

This three phase ‘action research’ based study set out to improve the experience of e-learners. The first two phases resulted in a set of recommendations with the potential to improve the experiences of e-learners. The recommendations resulted in three sets of implementations aimed at providing an active and salient leadership, developing an active learning community, and communicating module element clearly and precisely. Phase three involved implementing the recommendations in a module delivered to 20 postgraduate learners in blended mode and evaluating the impact on their learning experiences. Water-Adams (2006) suggests action and context are central to action research which is a practical approach to professional inquiry. This research addressed a real life, in context problem on a collaborative basis with learners. The approach was interpretative, phenomenological, idiographic and inductive. The primary research tool was the interview used to develop an understanding of learner experiences at a deep and individual level. An unstructured interview was used to evaluate learner experiences in phase one. Themes were abstracted from phase one interviews and used to inform semi-structured interviews which were conducted in phases two and three. A questionnaire was also used in phase three to evaluate the general class experience. The findings suggested that the implementations were successful. Learners perceived an active and salient leadership, felt they benefitted as part of an active learning community and articulated appreciation for clear communications of module elements. However, the nature of communications seemed to play an important role as learners responded very positively to personalised communications such as texting and audio feedback from the tutor. The results highlight the vital role of communications in an e-learning environment, in particular communications which give evidence of an active, approachable and understanding tutor presence, and connects cognitively and emotionally with learners

Comparison of Recent Scout Class Spacecraft Subsystem Weights for Future Weight Estimation Purposes

The purpose of this paper is to compare the subsystem weights of four recently built Scout class satellites to determine if there are any trends which can be used in future weight predictions. The four satellites whose weights are being compared are: MAGSAT, AMPTE, NOVA III, and Polar BEAR. These four spacecraft are different in many areas and were chosen as such, so as not to bias the data. In order to systematically compare the subsystem weights and extend the results to future spacecraft, a weight accounting system is developed. Thirteen subsystems are baselined. The specific pieces of hardware that are assigned to each subsystem category are defined. The components of each subsystem of each of the four spacecraft are defined and compared in terms of weight, capability, redundancy, etc. Weight trends are discussed where appropriate. Subsystem weights vary as one might expect with capability, redundancy, experiment and mission requirements, and launch vehicle imposed constraints. In spite of the major differences in the four spacecraft whose weights are compared, several trends and rules of thumb are developed which can be used in future weight predictions at the conceptual design level

Legislating the Risk of Light Teachers in 1950s and 1970s America

The existence of gay and lesbian teachers remains for many a dangerous notion. Indeed, education and schooling are terrains in which homosexuality has historically been highly charged. Underlying this are problematic assumptions about the suitability of gays and lesbians as school workers, assumptions that feed into larger questions about gays and lesbians in general. This thesis will explore these assumptions - and their consequences for gay and lesbian teachers - against the backdrop of both the 1950s, when the burgeoning Cold War created an age of anxiety, and the 1970s, when the rise of the religious right began to transform American politics and rally a nascent gay rights movement. In doing so, I will attempt to map the cultural, religious and political discourses which have supported prejudices against gay and lesbian school workers

Vascular and Autonomic Correlates of Cerebral Pulsatility in Young Women

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Does COVID-19 Infection Increase Blood Pressure?

In 2020, hypertension (high blood pressure) was responsible for over 670,000 deaths in the U.S. Combined with changes in lifestyle and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic, diagnoses of high blood pressure and new cases of hypertension increased, regardless of whether an individual had COVID-19. This research brief examines changes in blood pressure among U.S. adults in Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 and finds that poor sleep quality and poor mental health were associated with less desirable blood pressure patterns. The results indicate a need for healthcare providers to consider sleep quality and mental health when assessing patients for cardiovascular disease