For the update summaries task of the Text Analysis Conference 2008 we have implemented a novel summarization technique based on query expansion with encyclopedic knowledge and activation spreading in a large document graph. We have also experimented with sentence compression for building the summaries. The results are average – ranked 27 out of 58 for responsiveness in manual evaluation – but w...

We propose a framework for deterministic simulation of user behavior that allows to analyze the cost-gain-based performance on single result lists or whole search sessions. The ideal user representing optimal behavior (i.e., most gain with lowest effort) is contrasted with more “average” users that employ the spreading activation model from cognitive theory. On TREC Session Track data, the idea...

In the Gulf of California the Pacific-North America plate boundary changes character from an oceanic-type spreading center and transform fault system (to the south) to a region of diffuse continental deformation (to the north). The presence of spreading centers commonly inferred in the northernmost gulf is not supported by bathymetric, heat flow, gravity, or seismic data which indicate signific...

small precipitation with temporal and spatial variation of rainfall is the main responsible factors on flood occurrence in arid and semi arid regions. floods in their regions usually contain high concentration of sediments which when they are deposited on the surface of lands, they change the properties of soils of the area. in this research, the effect of floodwater spreading on physic-chemica...

An eecient retrieval of a relatively small number of relevant cases from a huge case base is a crucial subtask of Case-Based Reasoning (CBR). In this article, we present Case Retrieval Nets, a memory model that has recently been developed for this task. The main idea is to apply a spreading activation process to the case memory structured as a Case Retrieval Net in order to retrieve cases being...

Associative theories of learning have been used to explain human contingency learning since the 1980’s. Recent findings have led several authors to claim that there is no evidence clearly showing the engagement of associative processes of acquisition or representation in human contingency learning, and to propose non-associative accounts. Priming techniques can detect associative representation...

Learners have different knowledge, interests and also goals in any educational process. If all the learners are provided the same content the process will probably not meet expected goals. A personalized approach to a learner increases the efficiency of the learning process. It is based on information about the learner that is subject of change. Several adaptive educational systems exist. Howev...

BACKGROUND Adhesion dependent mechanisms are increasingly recognized to be important for a wide range of biological processes, diseases and therapeutics. This has led to a rising demand of pharmaceutical modulators. However, most currently available adhesion assays are time consuming and/or lack sensitivity and reproducibility or depend on specialized and expensive equipment often only availabl...

aims: drug addiction is a mental, social, and economic problem that comes from abnormal and illicit consumption of substances such as alcohol, opium, hashish, and etc., making the addict psychologically and physiologically dependent to those substances. this study was designed and performed to evaluate the pattern of drug abuse change in the addicts visiting addiction treatment centers of kasha...

due to its critical impact and significant destructive nature during and after seismic events, soil liquefaction and liquefactioninduced lateral ground spreading have been increasingly important topics in the geotechnical earthquake engineering field during the past four decades. the aim of this research is to develop an empirical model for the assessment of liquefaction-induced lateral ground ...