Knowledge-based disambiguation for machine translation

The resolution of ambiguities is one of the central problems for Machine Translation. In this paper we propose a knowledge-based approach to disambiguation which uses Description Logics (DL) as representation formalism. We present the process of anaphora resolution implemented in the Machine Translation system FAST and show how the DL system BACK is used to support disambiguation. The disambiguation strategy uses factors representing syntactic, semantic, and conceptual constraints with different weights to choose the most adequate antecedent candidate. We show how these factors can be declaratively represented as defaults in BACK. Disambiguation is then achieved by determining the interpretation that yields a qualitatively minimal number of exceptions to the defaults, and can thus be formalized as exception minimization

Dialogue acts in automatic dialogue interpreting

In this paper we demonstrate that for an adequate translation of an utterance spoken in a dialogue the dialogue act it performs has to be determined. We introduce an approach that automatically assigns types of dialogue acts to utterances on the basis of both micro- and macro-structural information. Technically, this assignment is realized by modeling preference rules as weighted defaults in the Description Logic system FLEX. The dialogue-act type of an utterance is determined by qualitatively minimizing the exceptions to these defaults. The results described here have been developed within the VERBMOBIL project, a project concerned with face-to-face dialogue interpreting funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Technology (BMBF). We present the rather positive results of a first evaluation of this implementation showing the accuracy of dialogue act assignment

The VERBMOBIL domain model version 1.0

This report describes the domain model used in the German Machine Translation project VERBMOBIL. In order make the design principles underlying the modeling explicit, we begin with a brief sketch of the VERBMOBIL demonstrator architecture from the perspective of the domain model. We then present some rather general considerations on the nature of domain modeling and its relationship to semantics. We claim that the semantic information contained in the model mainly serves two tasks. For one thing, it provides the basis for a conceptual transfer from German to English; on the other hand, it provides information needed for disambiguation. We argue that these tasks pose different requirements, and that domain modeling in general is highly task-dependent. A brief overview of domain models or ontologies used in existing NLP systems confirms this position. We finally describe the different parts of the domain model, explain our design decisions, and present examples of how the information contained in the model can be actually used in the VERBMOBIL demonstrator. In doing so, we also point out the main functionality of FLEX, the Description Logic system used for the modeling

An Investigation of Satanic Influences Upon Physically, Emotionally, and Spiritually Disturbed Christians: Selected Case Studies

Problem This project emerged out of a sincere desire to find answers to the physical, emotional, and spiritual bondage that plagued Christians. After many years of pastoral ministry, I was convinced that something was not complete in my ministry to these troubled people. Traditional counseling methods I had been taught were ineffective in breaking these bondages. An honest soul search, and a new look at the ministry of Jesus and the apostles exposed this one area of neglect in my ministry. As an Evangelical I believed in the biblical account of evil spirits, but was not really aware of their hindrances in the lives of believers. These perplexing problems among my parishioners forced me into a counseling deliverance ministry. Method Needing to determine the biblical basis of a ministry of deliverance in this present age, I investigated all scriptural references to evil spirit or demons, trying to determine their affects upon God\u27s people. The significance of the blessings and curses of the Bible was studied in an effort to understand their affects, if any, upon succeeding generations. Pertinent modern literature on demonology and the occult were reviewed, and relevant terms were clarified. The primary focus of the study centered on five selected case studies of individuals I have counseled who seemed to give evidence of these Satanic bondages. The sessions were recorded, and medical data were documented where available. Results and Conclusions Satan and his evil spirits do hinder Christians today with various degrees of bondage due to personal and generational sins and covenants. The data for this conclusion is found in the case studies, the biblical data and the present-day experiences of other counselors. It is sincerely hoped that this research will contribute to the body of information essential for Christian counselors who seek to set the captives free and proclaim the liberty promised in Jesus Christ our Lord

“Our publications are available worldwide”: A forgotten German printer and his global connections 1887-1939

In the second half of the 19th century, printing was an important sector in the North German city of Hannover. The city was the world leader in the industrial production of account books; the product itself had been invented there. It is all the more surprising that the fourth-largest printing works in the city in the 1920s should have been almost entirely forgotten by the early 21st century. As a Jewish-owned firm, the family business of A. Molling & Comp. had been forced to sell during the Nazi dictatorship and its owners emigrated in the late 1930s. In the absence of the more obvious sources such as company records, much of the history of the firm could only be traced through its products. Unusually for Hannover, as well as printing colour advertising and packaging for many well-known companies, Molling had specialised in children’s picture books, which were marketed worldwide. Editions of their books were sold as far afield as Indonesia, Estonia, South America and the USA. This article presents a brief account of the firm, highlighting the analysis of surviving products to trace the ramifications of Molling’s international contacts, including work for world-famous companies such as Raphael Tuck of London. The study is of interest to historical geographers, economic and urban historians and book historians. The research fills a gap not only in the specific, local historical geography of Hannover, but also in our knowledge of aspects of globalisation in the early twentieth century

The type chair: formal and economic optimization in full-scale 3d printing

This paper discusses the implications of full-scale 3d printing when confronted with normative economic constraints in relation to desired formal outcomes. To explore this, we designed the Type Chair, which includes in its design, a cost and form optimization algorithm that ties the specifics of formal outcomes directly to cost. We describe the design of the chair and its accompanying algorithm, as well as the results we've gathered by employing this process. There is cutting edge, well documented work being done in the domain of 3d printing which suggests a potential paradigm shift for future architects and their approach toward design and construction. These processes embrace the notion that an architect's role is evolving away from the development of singular fixed objects and into the conceptualization of objects whose form changes based on the inputs and desires of a lay audience. The novelty of the approach in this project is the interrogation of how 3d printing processes may affect formal iteration and control in relation to normative market processes and forces. There is an ongoing revolution in the way objects are being conceived and made, and perhaps more importantly, an evolution in the expectations of a lay public whose daily engagement is now with devices and objects which have, as a primary ethos, the character of individual responsiveness. These discussions are important as we confront the potentials and limitations of full-scale 3d printing as a construction type, and how these emerging processes will affect architects and their changing role in the years to come

Harm reduction services for British Columbia's First Nation population: a qualitative inquiry into opportunities and barriers for injection drug users

BACKGROUND: Aboriginal injection drug users are the fastest growing group of new Human Immunodeficiency Virus cases in Canada. However, there remains a lack of comprehensive harm reduction services available to First Nation persons, particularly for First Nation people dwelling in rural and reserve communities. This paper reports findings from an exploratory study of current harm reduction practices in First Nation communities. The purpose of this study was to provide an overview of the availability and content of current harm reduction practices, as well as to identify barriers and opportunities for implementing these services in First Nation communities. METHODS: Key informant interviews were conducted with 13 addictions service providers from the province of British Columbia, Canada. RESULTS: Participants identified barriers to these services such as community size and limited service infrastructure, lack of financial resources, attitudes towards harm reduction services and cultural differences. CONCLUSION: It was recommended that community education efforts be directed broadly within the community before establishing harm reduction services and that the readiness of communities be assessed

Fish larval nutrition and feed formulation: knowledge gaps and bottlenecks for advances in larval rearing

Despite considerable progress in recent years, many questions regarding fish larval nutrition remain largely unanswered, and several research avenues remain open. A holistic understanding of the supply line of nutrients is important for developing diets for use in larval culture and for the adaptation of rearing conditions that meet the larval requirements for the optimal presentation of food organisms and/or microdiets. The aim of the present review is to revise the state of the art and to pinpoint the gaps in knowledge regarding larval nutritional requirements, the nutritional value of live feeds and challenges and opportunities in the development of formulated larval diets.Norwegian Ministry of Fisheries; Research Council of Norway [CODE-199482, GutFeeling-190019]; Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation MICINN + FEDER/ERDF [AGL2007-64450-C02-01, CSD2007-0002]; project HYDRAA [PTDC/MAR/71685/2006]; Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal; FEDER; EC [LIFECYCLE- 222719]; EU RTD [FA0801]info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Infusing EL Content into a Sociocultural Studies in Education Course

An article describing the process of embedding English learner topics in the sociocultural studies in education course the authors teach