Edge-Based Best-First Chart Parsing

Best-first probabilistic chart parsing attempts to parse efficiently by working on edges that are judged 'best' by some probabilistic figure of merit (FOM). Recent work has used proba- bilistic context-free grammars (PCFGs) to sign probabilities to constituents, and to use these probabilities as the starting point for the FOM. This paper extends this approach to us- ing a probabilistic FOM to judge edges (incomplete constituents), thereby giving a much finergrained control over parsing effort. We show how this can be accomplished in a particularly simple way using the common idea of binarizing the PCFG. The results obtained are about a factor of twenty improvement over the best prior results -- that is, our parser achieves equivalent results using one twentieth the number of edges. Furthermore we show that this improvement is obtained with parsing precision and recall levels superior to those achieved by exhaustive parsing

Interactive Virtual Debugger for GPSS/H

GPSS (General Purpose System Simulator) is a language, designed to aid the computer modeling and simulation of a wide variety of different real life systems. As with any other large programming project, debugging GPSS programs is unavoidable and often difficult. The present thesis describes an Interactive Visual Debugging System for GPSS/H which attempts to simplify the debugging task by allowing the programmer to observe the actual behavior of the model in simulated real time, while preserving all traditional interactive debugging tools - breakpoints, system traps, selective displays, etc. The present version of the Interactive Visual Debugger is developed for the UNIX operating system and is written in the ‘C’ programming language. The system can be readily used on all terminals capable of running the UNIX ‘curses’ library package. Because of its modular design, the system can be modified to accommodate additional terminal types, or to run under different operating systems

Trade Space Analysis of Antenna Array Architecture Using System Modeling Tools

This trade study has two objectives. The first provides a trade space analysis of differing array architectures and associated radio frequency components using system-modeling tools. The second objective develops system modeling tools aiding similar analysis by other users. These objectives were accomplished by evaluating a selected group of output parameters to include overall system cost, mass, and power consumption, as well as the minimum detectable input level, system spurious free dynamic range, and selected beam spoilage parameters caused by the use of discrete phase shifters. A fixed number of designs were evaluated using simulation. The evaluation process examined input parameter and design impact on the output parameters and overall best design. The best overall design, by score, performed exceptionally well for minimum detectable input level and beam spoilage parameters, very well for cost and power performance, and poor for total mass and spurious free dynamic range. The best overall design offered a 97% improvement in evaluation score over the lowest scoring design. The placement of the first stage of low noise amplifiers within the RF component chain, as well as the number of sub-arrays, were among the design parameters found to have the most profound effect on the output results. These results match commonly accepted guidelines in radar design. Selected portions of this study were verified and compared to results from commercially available software, GENESYS by Eagleware Corporation

Improved fiberglass-to-metal joint produces lighter stronger fiberglass strut

Axial tension and compression are transmitted between end fittings and fiberglass tube without depending on glass-to-metal bonding, conventional fasteners or combination of these things. Joint design significantly reduces both structural weight of strut and its cross-sectional area

VETERINARY CAPACITY BUILDING AND FOOD SECURITY CHALLENGES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Master of Public HealthPublic Health Interdepartmental ProgramRobert L. LarsonVeterinary capacity building is the transfer of technical knowledge and skills to individuals in an effort to create sustainable change, and for this report, it will focus on veterinary capacity building for the improvement of livestock production practices and food security in regions with limited resources, such as Guyana. In support of this goal, the veterinary engagements between the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) and Farmer to Farmer (F2F) veterinary volunteers from 31 October to 18 November 2016 covered an extensive range of topics and training opportunities for veterinary professionals and staff of the GLDA. The team recognized several challenges for the veterinary community in Guyana and provided several recommendations for improvement in animal health services in a resource-limited situation. The F2F veterinary team thought that future engagements should target two levels of engagement based upon the expertise of prospective volunteers. One level of engagement should focus on training and skill development for veterinary professionals and livestock producers. The second level of engagement should involve assistance in the development of a strategic, time-structured plan for the implementation of an Active Animal Health Surveillance Program. Typically, the slaughter of meat animals in low-resource countries occurs in abattoirs or local butcher shops. Therefore, veterinary capacity building that focuses on improving sanitation levels surrounding the slaughter process would reduce foodborne public health risks to consumers. An adaptive approach that considers the local culture, social setting, and economic environment, will be paramount for successful opportunities with sustainable improvements in meat hygiene

Mentor Me To Mister A Case Study of Mentoring through the Kappa Leadership and Developmental League

The purpose of this study was to explore the non-academic strategies the Kappa Leadership and Developmental League uses to mentor African American males and the impact it has on their academic and social achievement. The researcher used a collective case study design to identify the best practices of the Kappa League. Purposeful sampling was used to identify and invite Kappa League mentees, parents, advisors/mentors and school administrators as participants in the investigation. Kappa League members, their mentors, school administrators, and parents alike perceived the Kappa Leadership and Development League as highly effective in providing both direction and support for African American adolescent males. The program was found to employ best practices that previous research has identified for youth mentoring programs. The findings from this study enabled the researcher to make several recommendations regarding the academic and social achievement of African American males

Closing The Minority Achievement Gap in Georgia Middle Schools: Principals\u27 Perspectives

The purpose of this study was to provide best practices and strategies for middle school principals that have been struggling to close the minority achievement gap in schools. Three Georgia middle school principals considered to be successful in closing the achievement gap were interviewed to determine the strategies and practices that they use to close the minority achievement gap. These practices and strategies were further examined to determine their effectiveness in the areas of reading and mathematics. The researcher used in-depth interviewing procedures through a structured interview format to encourage research participants to speak openly and candidly about the strategies and practices that they use to address the issue of the achievement gap in their schools. The interviews were audio-taped to assure accuracy of data given by the participants. Each participant was asked nine research questions derived from a thorough review of the literature to determine their perspectives of the achievement gap and the practices and strategies that they use to address the issue. The researcher discovered through the findings from the in-depth, structured interviews and an analysis of the data that the practices and strategies used by the selected Georgia middle school principals included a combination of similar, but routine 2 practices such as involving underachieving students in the process of improving their own academic achievement, offer additional assistance in reading and mathematics, incorporate minority students into gifted or honors classes, give common assessments, give teachers time for collaboration and professional learning to plan for student success, and provide differentiated instruction. Most importantly, these principals used data to make strategic decisions concerning the achievement of the students within their schools