Genre Analysis of Acknowledgement Texts by Pakistani Master Level Theses Writers

oai:ojs2.linguisticforum.com:article/1This study aims to investigate the lexical, structural and cultural elements in acknowledgement texts written by Pakistani candidates of master of philosophy degrees (18 years of education). For this purpose, a corpus of 100 acknowledgement texts has been developed and analyzed with the help of AntConc 3.4.4.0. Results reveal that Pakistani master level acknowledgement writers use gratitude markers extravagantly to thank their contributors and use high sounding adjectives exaggeratedly to increase the effect of thankfulness and glorify the acknowledged persons. Acknowledgement texts are a blend of different patterns which are the example of their own. Study concludes that Pakistani acknowledgement texts are affected by cultural, social and personal elements with the help of which Pakistani acknowledgers pay gratitude directly, emotionally and warmly using direct, emotional and rhetorical language

Investigating Shades of Modality in an Autobiography, “If I am Assassinated”: A Corpus-Based Analysis

This study investigated the attitudes and shades marked by the writer in an autobiography through the corpus expressions developed on modalities (i.e., boulmaic, deontic, epistemic, and perceptual). The study also put to the test the patterns created to examine modality across fiction genre. A corpus was created for this purpose and tagged using the Parts of Speech (POS) Tagger for analysis using AntConc 3.4.4.0. This analysis was then further interpreted using Simpson\u27s (1993) model. It was discovered that the author used many modalities, such as (un)certainty, attitude, point of view, ability, possibility, and likelihood, to form the meaning in the autobiography. These features highlighted the text\u27s persuasiveness, interest, and realism. By including these features, the autobiography was given positive and negative undertones that helped readers comprehend the author\u27s perspective. In conclusion, the content seemed more upbeat than downbeat. The deontic and boulomaic modalities that indicated estrangement and uncertainty on the writer\u27s part were used to mark the positive shade. Additionally, the use of the suggested patterns was successful in analysing the modality aspects using corpus techniques. They were suggested in the study as a paradigm for additional research. &nbsp

Intracranial CT Scan Findings in the Patients of Head Injury: An Early Experience at Dera Ghazi Khan Teaching Hospital

Introduction:  Head injury patients constitute a major number to any trauma emergency. Every head injury patient whose level of consciousness seems to alter, must be checked for brain injury. With the help of Computed Tomography (CT), Radiological evaluation has experienced a drastic change because it precisely explores the location and nature of lesion(s). Material and Methods:  This study included 408 patients that were admitted to the emergency of Teaching Hospital Dera Ghazi Khan, from October 2017 to September 2019. In this study, the location as well as nature of lesions were evaluated with the help of CT. Results:  CT results expressed that there was skull fracture (28.4%), extra dural hematoma (20.6%), diffuse intra cerebral hematoma (18.6%), brain contusions (18%), subdural hematoma (5.9%), diffuse axonal injury (DAI) (4.4%), subarachnoid hemorrhage (2.5%) and pneumocranium (1.5%). It was also noted that the males having age group between 20 – 35 years were mostly involved in head trauma and the reason for this was a road accident. Conclusion:  CT scan explained the location and nature of brain and skull lesions. Keywords:  Computed Tomography (CT), Road Accident, Head Trauma

Simulation based topology optimization assessment with manufacturing constraints

In Automotive and Aerospace industries, Topology Optimization (TO) is being used for the last few decades to produce lightweight structures. On the other hand, TO produces very complex geometrical features (i.e. irregular shape and hidden cavities along the thickness) that is sometimes difficult to be manufactured even with Additive Manufacturing (AM) and Casting techniques. In this paper suitable design and manufacturing constraint (MC) are applied during TO process that act as an Optimization Tool (OT) and improves geometrical features of the mechanical structures for easy manufacturing. Three mechanical structures with different geometries and boundary conditions have been considered for analysis purpose. Topology Optimization based on linear static analysis has been performed using OptiStruct (HyperWorks) solver. Finally, results of analysis conclude that the proposed OT produces lightweight structures with very simple geometries that can easily be manufactured with the help of AM or Casting techniques

Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction: (Book Review)

Contemporary Linguistics was initially (First Edition 1989) composed to present an introductory textbook on linguistics to enlighten the students about different areas of linguistics (morphology, phonology, psycholinguistics, semantics, syntax, and sociolinguistics) with the aims to provide up-to-date coverage of the subject areas, and provide a clear and direct presentation of materials for the students of linguistics. In this regard, editors of the book strived to: incorporate up-to-date and comprehensive text; present the knowledge of the subject from working experts on a particular topic; adopt a modular approach to explain complicated concepts in an engaging and digesting style; and offer extensive support to instructors and students to teach and understand the book. The book was warmly welcomed by the students, and well appreciated by the experts in the field of linguistics. As a result, the editors have been charting various developments in the subject through different editions (1-6). The current edition (7th 2017) of Contemporary Linguistics comprises of 14 chapters. Chapter one previews language and its features. Chapter two discusses the sounds of speech focusing the part of articulators to produce sounds, symbols representing sounds, grouping of sounds into classes, and features of sound. Chapter three reviews the distinctiveness of sounds, and the use of transcription to describe the variation of sounds. Chapter four throws light on word structures explaining different concepts on morphology. Chapter five presents the analysis of sentence structures explaining how words: are categorized; and combined to form phrases and sentences; and how sentence structures are diagrammed. Chapter six describes different concepts of semantics e.g., derivation of meaning, contribution of speaker’s attitude and belief, context, and setting toward meaning. Chapter seven explains how different languages are classified based on morphological, phonological, and syntactic similarities. Chapter eight discusses: how and why a language and its sounds change over time; and what syntactic and morphological changes are noticed in a language. Chapters nine and 10 explain how children acquire first and second language by developing vocabulary in different stages of acquisition, and what factors influence the acquisition process. Chapter 11 answers the questions related to the: methods employed by psycholinguists to study language processing; linguistic principles involved in language production and comprehension; and psycholinguistic models applied to explain language processing. Entitled ‘Brain and Language’ chapter 12 describes the structure of human brain and its relation with language, and neurolinguistic investigations on language and brain. Chapter 13 explains the use of language in social contexts focusing on how: class, ethnicity, gender and place influence language variation; dialect variation takes place over time; language contact influences development and use of language; social interaction influences the use of language; and people deal with language. Chapter 14 explains the development of writing systems, the emergence of alphabetical systems, the development of writing systems in non-European languages, the development of modern English spelling system, and the relation between reading and writing. Each chapter of the textbook starts with a quote from world-famous literary works followed by the chapter objectives, a detailed overview of the topic, and ends in a chapter summary, key terms, recommended reading, and exercises. Quotes (at the start of every chapter) are very concise and exciting, and present a very appealing introduction of the topic. Chapter objectives comprise of short statements that present an easily understandable aim of the particular topic. A detailed overview of the topic provides a comprehensive discussion of different aspects of the specific topic. Chapter summary (titled ‘Summing Up’) presents a precise summary of the discussion on a specific topic, and makes it easy for the reader the digest the essence of the discussion. ‘Recommended Reading’ section provides references to the materials for further reading on the topic. Exercises, at the end of every chapter, are also very interesting and help to assess readers’ comprehension of the topic. The current edition is very advantageous for several reasons such as it: presents revised content on four chapters (2, 3, 4, and 5) on phonetics, phonology, morphology, and syntax; updates two additional chapters ‘Second Language Acquisition’, and ‘Language in Social Contexts’ with the aim to incorporate the recent scholarship in the field; provides LaunchPad Solo that offers features (interactive exercises, advanced questions, interactive IPA audio charts, additional reviews on core topics, further exploration of four chapters); provides study guide of the book; presents ‘Instructor’s Resource Manual’ as a teaching guide for the teachers of the textbook; gives detailed and advanced information on the subject; provides online exercises to support multimedia technology in the classroom; and reflects recent research on linguistics. Important boxes like ‘Language Matters’ (present general knowledge on specific topics) and ‘For the Student Linguist’ are the plus of the textbook that is rarely found in any other textbook of linguistics. To be brief, Contemporary Linguistics is a wonderful textbook that features valuable and unique things that further make it a ‘springboard to the realm of scientific analysis’, and ‘a greater appreciation for the wonder of human language, the variety and complexity of its structure, and the subtlety of its use’ (Preface, p. xiv). About Book Contemporary Linguistics: An Introduction (7th Edition). Edited by William O’Grady, John Archibald, Mark Aronoff and Janie Rees-Miller. Boston and New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s Macmillan Learning, 2017, pp. 674, 35.99$ (Paperback), ISBN: 978-1-319-03977-6

A survey of statistical approaches for query expansion

A major issue in effective information retrieval is the problem of vocabulary mismatches. The method called query expansion addresses this issue by reformulating each search query with additional terms that better define the information needs of the user. Many researchers have contributed to improving the accuracy of information retrieval systems, through different approaches to query expansion. In this article, we primarily discuss statistical query expansion approaches that include document analysis, search and browse log analyses, and web knowledge analyses. In addition to proposing a comprehensive classification for these approaches, we also briefly analyse the pros and cons of each technique. Finally, we evaluate these techniques using five functional features and experimental settings such as TREC collection and results of performance metrics. An in-depth survey of different statistical query expansion approaches suggests that the selection of the best approach depends on the type of search query, the nature and availability of data resources, and performance efficiency requirements

Development of Reaction Kinetics Model for the Production of Synthesis Gas from Dry Methane Reforming

The energy supply systems dependent on fossils and municipal solid waste (MSW) materials are primarily responsible for releasing greenhouse (GHG) gases and their related environmental hazards. The increasing amount of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) is the scientific community's main concern in this context. Reduction in the emission amount of both gases combined with the conversion technologies that would convert these total threat gases (CO2 and CH4) into valuable feedstocks will significantly lower their hazardous impact on climate change. The conversion technique known as dry methane reforming (DMR) utilizes CO2 and CH4 to produce a combustible gas mixture (CO+H2), popularly known as synthesis gas/or syngas. Therefore, this research study aims to explore and enlighten the characteristics of the DMR mechanism. The conversion behaviour of CO2 and CH4 was studied with modelling and simulation of the DMR process using MATLAB. The results showed that inlet gas flow has a significant impact on the reactions. In contrast, the inlet molar composition ratio of the reactions was found to have no substantial effect on the mechanism of DMR. Copyright © 2021 by Authors, Published by BCREC Group. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0).

Workplace Ostracism and Employee Reactions among University Teachers in Pakistan

This study investigated the positive and negative behavioral outcomes resulting from the pragmatic and psychological impacts of workplace ostracism experienced by university teachers in Pakistan. Using a qualitative and phenomenological approach, the data were gathered from 20 ostracized teachers working in public and private sector higher educational institutions in Pakistan. The results revealed that participants faced both the psychological and pragmatic impacts of workplace ostracism. Most of the ostracized teachers indicated positive behavioral outcomes due to being collectivist and placing a high value on social relations. Ostracized teachers used resource investment strategies by improving in-role and extra-role performance that reflect their re-inclusion expectations and less chronic prevalence of workplace ostracism. But participants showed their intention to engage in negative behaviors such as withdrawal, decreased performance, and resignation if they constantly face ostracism in future. The results of this study can be used by the university administration to develop an inclusive and non-discriminatory culture and policies to minimize the occurrence of workplace ostracism