Distributional Measures of Semantic Distance: A Survey

The ability to mimic human notions of semantic distance has widespread applications. Some measures rely only on raw text (distributional measures) and some rely on knowledge sources such as WordNet. Although extensive studies have been performed to compare WordNet-based measures with human judgment, the use of distributional measures as proxies to estimate semantic distance has received little attention. Even though they have traditionally performed poorly when compared to WordNet-based measures, they lay claim to certain uniquely attractive features, such as their applicability in resource-poor languages and their ability to mimic both semantic similarity and semantic relatedness. Therefore, this paper presents a detailed study of distributional measures. Particular attention is paid to flesh out the strengths and limitations of both WordNet-based and distributional measures, and how distributional measures of distance can be brought more in line with human notions of semantic distance. We conclude with a brief discussion of recent work on hybrid measures

Are speed enforcement cameras more effective than other speed management measures? The impact of speed management schemes on 30mph roads.

This paper presents the results of an evaluation of the impact of various types of speed management schemes on both traffic speeds and accidents. The study controls for general trends in accidents, regression-to-mean effects and migration, separately estimating the accident changes attributable to the impact of the schemes on traffic speed and on traffic volume. It was found that, when judged in absolute terms, all types of speed management scheme have remarkably similar effects on accidents, with an average fall in personal injury accidents of about 1 accident/km/year. In terms of the percentage accident reduction, however, engineering schemes incorporating vertical deflections (such as speed humps or cushions) offer the largest benefits: at 44%, the average reduction in personal injury accidents attributable to such schemes, is twice that at sites where safety cameras were used to control speeds (22%) and they were the only type of scheme to have a significant impact on fatal and serious accidents. Other types of engineering scheme (with a fall of 29% in personal injury accidents) were on average less effective in reducing accidents than schemes with vertical features but more effective than cameras. All types of scheme were generally effective in reducing speeds, with the largest reductions tending to be obtained with vertical deflections and the smallest with other types of engineering schemes

Book review: Culture And Politics: Issues In Australian Journalism On Indonesia, 1975-1993

Kingsbury Damien (1997) Culture And Politics: Issues In Australian Journalism On Indonesia, 1975-93 Australia-Asia Papers No. 80. Centre for the Study of Australia Asia Relations.Griffith University, Brisbane, Qld. September. ISBN 0 86857 782 O Review Essay by Martin Hirst Culture and Politics is a timely reminder of the delicate nature of the Australian news media\u27s relationship with the Indonesian regime and that so-called cultural sensitivities\u27 are really no more than political expediency (inter alia p.149). Indonesian journalists, as well as those visiting from Australia, are subject to harsh criticism when it suits the Jakarta government. Even worse, local journalists are banned, or have their publications closed down, if they transgress the tough written and unwritten rules of behaviour. As Kingsbury notes, for their sins (real and imagined) several Australian journalists have been expelled from Indonesia over the past 15 years. We\u27re also reminded that in 1975 six Australian reporters were murdered by Indonesian soldiers when they tried to cover the invasion of East Timor

Effects of Spring Breakup on Microscale Air Temperatures in the Mackenzie River Delta

The effects of spring breakup on microscale air temperatures in the Mackenzie River delta were investigated by means of intervention analysis. Small but statistically significant increases in temperatures were detected for some areas within the delta and appeared to be related to ice breakup events in nearby channels and lake systems. The magnitude of the temperature increase appeared to be correlated with the severity of winter conditions preceding breakup and with the rate at which breakup progressed. The relative importance of changes in surface albedo and river heat input in causing air temperature rises is discussed. Temperature increases due to breakup are small in comparison to seasonal warming trends and diurnal temperature fluctuations.Key words: Mackenzie River, delta, breakup, climate, air temperature, intervention analysis, time-seriesMots clés: Fleuve Mackenzie, delta, débâcle, climat, température de l'air, analyse d'intervention, séries chronologique

An Examination of the Effects of Feedback Accuracy on Academic Task Acquisition in Analogue Settings

Performance feedback is a common procedure used in a variety of settings to change behavior. Although reviews of the literature have identified a number of dimensions of performance feedback that are predictive of effectiveness, little research has examined the influence of inaccurate feedback on behavior. The purpose of the present study was to examine both the short- and long-term effects of inaccurate feedback on the acquisition of match-to-sample tasks. The first study adopted a translational, human operant paradigm to evaluate the effects under highly-controlled conditions. Undergraduate students were presented an arbitrary match-to-sample task on a computer. Feedback accuracy was manipulated in an initial phase followed by a condition where only accurate feedback was provided. The second study extended these findings to a more applied setting and population. The results of both studies demonstrated that exposure to inaccurate feedback resulted in the failure to acquire the tasks. Furthermore, a carryover effect was obtained represented by a delay to acquisition following the improvement of feedback accuracy. The behavioral processes behind the results obtained are interpreted through a synthesis of literatures on performance feedback, fidelity, and instructional control. Implications for educational and organizational settings are suggested

Philmont Scout Ranch : National Boy Scout Reservation, Leadership Training Area, Working Ranch

Project (B. Arch.)--University of Kansas, Architecture and Urban Design, 1969.This thesis is devoted to the understanding and importance of the scouting movement with·emphasis on the redevelopment of its national scout reservation, Philmont, near Cimarron, New Mexico. In this document sufficient data will be established for the design and development of all these structures necessary to run the Camping Headquarters and Program

Habitat Selection by Large Wild Ungulates and Some Aspects of the Energy Flow in a Sub-tropical African Savanna Woodland Ecosystem

A study of habitat selection by large wild ungulates was carried out on a 50 cm2 area in the sub-tropical Lowveld region of eastern Transvaal province, South Africa. Estimations were made of herbaceous forage net productivity and ungulate secondary productivity on the same area. Fourteen vegetation types, varying in composition and structure from open savanna to dense woodland, were delineated by association analysis. Structural and vegetational characteristics which were considered to influence ungulate distribution were measured within each vegetation type. The study area supported resident populations of seven ungulate species during the wet season; drv season densities were higher due to population influxes from surrounding areas. Densities ranged from 13 to 67 animals per km2, with impala making up from 40 to 70 percent of the total population, wildebeest 10 to 40 percent, and lesser proportions of giraffe, zebra, kudu, warthog and waterbuck. Savanna vegetation types supported total densities of up to 185 animals/km2, while wooded types support fewer animals. Waterbuck were the most selective of the ungulates and concentrated mainly in the riparian woodland. Wildebeest, zebra and giraffe made variable use of savanna and open woodland types. Warthog preferred savanna types and avoided woodland. Impala were less selective, and kudu showed no habitat preferences. Ungulate distribution was related to several habitat characteristics, and the key factors were found to differ in each case. Each species had a unique combination of habitat characteristics to which it responded in linear fashion, and this was considered to be the way in which ungulates avoided competition by achieving spatial separation. Herbaceous forage standing crops and net production were functions of vegetation composition, soil types, rainfall and extent of ungulate utilization. Standing crops ranged from 350 to 4104 kgs/ha air-dried forage. Net primary production ranged from zero to 2719 kgs/ha; vegetation types on sandy soils did not produce in years with poor precipitation. Ungulates consumed about one-fourth of the herbaceous net primary production during the wet season and more than four-fifths during the course of a full year. Ungulate biomass on the area averaged about 40 kg/ha during the wet season and 65 kg/ha in the dry season, but biomasses varied a great deal with vegetation type, ungulate population species coMposition and seasonal densities. Ungulate secondary product ion varied correspondingly and ranged from 1.3 x 10-3 kcal/m2 per day to 4.8 x 10-3 kcals/m2 per day. Overall secondary production rate for the 2-year study period was 0.97 kcals/m2 per year, produced from a mean standing crop of 7.46 kcal/m2

Developing sexual competence? Exploring strategies for the provision of effective sexualities and relationships education

School-based sexualities and relationships education (SRE) offers one of the most promising means of improving young people's sexual health through developing 'sexual competence'. In the absence of evidence on whether the term holds the same meanings for young people and adults (e.g. teachers, researchers, policy-makers), the paper explores 'adult' notions of sexual competence as construed in research data and alluded to in UK Government guidance on SRE, then draws on empirical research with young people on factors that affect the contexts, motivations and outcomes of sexual encounters, and therefore have implications for sexual competence. These data from young people also challenge more traditional approaches to sexualities education in highlighting disjunctions between the content of school-based input and their reported sexual experience. The paper concludes by considering the implications of these insights for developing a shared notion of what SRE is trying to achieve and suggestions for recognition in the content and approaches to SRE.</p

Across the genres: how journalism is changing in the 1990s

Writing is the key element in the dissemination of information. Content is king, whether for online, radio, print, or multimedia journalism. Increasingly converging production and delivery technologies are blurring the distinction between print and broadcast journalism. This has consequences for the teaching of writing skils to university journalism students