Active OCR: Tightening the Loop in Human Computing for OCR Correction

We propose a proof-of-concept application that will experiment with the use of active learning and other iterative techniques for the correction of eighteenth-century texts provided by the HathiTrust Digital Library and the 2,231 ECCO text transcriptions released into the public domain by Gale and distributed by the Text Creation Partnership (TCP) and 18thConnect. In an application based on active learning or a similar approach, the user could identify dozens or hundreds of difficult characters that appear in the articles from that same time period, and the system would use this new knowledge to improve optical character recognition (OCR) across the entire corpus. A portion of our efforts will focus on the need to incentivize engagement in tasks of this type, whether they are traditionally crowdsourced or through a more active, iterative process like the one we propose. We intend to examine how explorations of a users' preferences can improve their engagement with corpora of materials

Prediction of the thermal environment and thermal response of simple panels exposed to radiant heat

A method of predicting the radiant heat flux distribution produced by a bank of tubular quartz heaters was applied to a radiant system consisting of a single unreflected lamp irradiating a flat metallic incident surface. In this manner, the method was experimentally verified for various radiant system parameter settings and used as a source of input for a finite element thermal analysis. Two finite element thermal analyses were applied to a thermal system consisting of a thin metallic panel exposed to radiant surface heating. A two-dimensional steady-state finite element thermal analysis algorithm, based on Galerkin's Method of Weighted Residuals (GFE), was formulated specifically for this problem and was used in comparison to the thermal analyzers of the Engineering Analysis Language (EAL). Both analyses allow conduction, convection, and radiation boundary conditions. Differences in the respective finite element formulation are discussed in terms of their accuracy and resulting comparison discrepancies. The thermal analyses are shown to perform well for the comparisons presented here with some important precautions about the various boundary condition models. A description of the experiment, corresponding analytical modeling, and resulting comparisons are presented

Homelessness, Alcoholism, and Ethnic Discrimination among Alaska Natives

Homelessness among Alaska Natives is a social problem that currently plagues Anchorage, probably owing especially to the rapid social changes in rural Alaska following World War II. This study suggests that some Alaska Natives may be predisposed to homelessness after they have experienced relocation or social disruption during their high school years or problem drinking in their family of origin. A culture of poverty now appears to be reproducing itself in greater numbers than during the 1970s, when Alaska Native urban migrants were first studied. This subcultural context also appears to be reinforced by alcoholism and to a certain extent by ethnic discrimination, particularly in high school during adolescence and in the workplace during adulthood. Feeling discriminated against seems to foster anger, frustration, and self-blame among homeless Alaska Nativess, who often come to see themselves as outcasts within the urban centers far from their homeland.Key words: homelessness, culture of poverty, alcoholism, discrimination, Alaska NativesMots clés: itinérance, culture de la pauvreté, alcoolisme, discrimination, autochtones alaskien

Construction Dust Amelioration Techniques

INE/AUTC 12.0

Thermochronometric Investigation of Multiple Unconformities and Post-depositional Thermal History of a Fault Block in the Northern Western Desert, Egypt

Detrital apatite and zircon (U-TH)/He analysis across a recently discovered unconformity in the Western Desert of Egypt provides new insight into the tectonic evolution of northeastern Africa. The unconformity juxtaposes Cretaceous and Cambrian-Ordovician strata, and poses a potential problem for the mapping of a Jurassic hydrocarbon source rock in and near the Faghur Basin. This study utilizes detrital apatite and zircon (U-Th)/He analysis of samples collected from two boreholes in the Western Desert to elucidate the timing and magnitude of this unconformity. Data from detrital minerals further provides insight into the tectonic and thermal evolution of source terrane (ie. timing of exhumation). Detrital zircon (U-Th)/He (DZHe) ages from Cretaceous to Tertiary formations above the unconformity represent the cooling ages of source terranes with respect to the ZHe closure temperature. These ages can indicate timing of geological processes such as tectonic uplift or erosional unroofing. Statistical analysis of the DZHe ages within formations support a series of models for the influx of sediment during distinct periods of tectonic activity. The ZHe data supports two main conclusions. First, DZHe ages from below the unconformity postdate Paleozoic strata, and support Hercynian-related uplift of a fault block during the Carboniferous in the northern Western Desert of Egypt. This paleo-structural-high shed sediments into onlapping Jurassic and Early Cretaceous units and remained subaerially exposed until the Late Cretaceous. Second, ZHe ages above the unconformity predate Mesozoic-Cenozoic strata, and the Safa Sandstone and Alam El Buib (AEB) Formation contain Triassic to Jurassic detrital components, which reveal the presence of a rapidly exhumed fault block associated with Triassic-Jurassic rifting. Detrital apatite (U-Th)/He (DAHe) data is limited by the current geothermal gradient to the near surface Moghra formation, but provides a record of sediment influx from Late Cretaceous to Late Eocene compressional events of the Neotethyan margin

The Potential Revenue from Financial Transactions Taxes

This joint report by CEPR and the Political Economy Research Institute (University of Massachusetts, Amherst) gives an estimate of $177-354 billion in revenue that could be raised by taxing financial transactions in the United States.financial taxes, financial transactions, economic crisis, financial crisis

Is Athlete Activism a Predictor of Resilience?

Several athletes have taken personal responsibility to engage in activism, often with hopes of bringing social and political change. While scholars have identified several barriers preventing athletes from engaging in activism (e.g., public criticism, status and job loss, withdrawal of funding, anticipated distress; Cunningham & Regan, 2012), other scholars have identified personal benefits from engaging in activism (e.g., improved confidence, self-concept, belief in change, agency, life meaning; Klar & Kasser, 2009; Rabkin et al., 2019). Distress from the barriers, however, may be prerequisites to enhancing resilience, a theoretical construct that may help explain the benefits of activism. Thus, by applying the metatheory of resilience and resiliency, the purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships between athletic identity (AI), activist identity and commitment (AIC), perceived stress (PS), stress control mindset (SCM), and mental toughness (MT). Overall, the 204 NCAA student-athletes surveyed in the present study reported low AIC, potentially resulting in the lack of significant findings. Regression models did not find that the theorized benefits of athlete activism were related to AIC as originally thought. Possible explanations for the findings are discussed

High frequency ferroelectric properties of the BiFeO₃-PbTiO₃-PbZrO₃ ternary system

High temperature dielectric measurements have been performed on the ferroelectric and antiferroelectric perovskitic polycrystalline solid solutions in the BiFeO3-PbTiO3-PbZrO3 ternary system. The data were taken in the UHF frequency range with the use of a slotted line and specially constructed sample holder capable of operation at temperatures in excess of 800°C. The Curie points have been found to occur at progressively higher temperatures with the increase of BiFeO3 content in the solutions except in phase transition regions where minima can occur. The dielectric constants at the Curie temperatures have been found to decrease with BiFeO3 content increase. Extrapolation procedures yielded a Curie point dielectric constant near 1300 for The Curie point of BiFeO3. The Curie point of BiFeO3 was found to occur at 850- 900°C. The dielectric data demonstrate that BiFeO3 and solutions of PbTiO3 and PbZrO3 with high BiFeO3 content are ferroelectric or antiferroelectric. A discussion is presented, utilizing crystallographic data, which indicate that BiFeO3 is probably ferroelectric --Abstract, page i