title: Exploiting web 2.0 forallknowledge-based information retrieval

authors: Milne, David N.

subjects: computer science

abstract: This paper describes ongoing research into obtaining and using knowledge bases to assist information retrieval. These structures are prohibitively expensive to obtain manually, yet automatic approaches have been researched for decades with limited success. This research investigates a potential shortcut: a way to provide knowledge bases automatically, without expecting computers to replace expert human indexers. Instead we aim to replace the professionals with thousands or even millions of amateurs: with the growing community of contributors who form the core of Web 2.0. Specifically we focus on Wikipedia, which represents a rich tapestry of topics and semantics and a huge investment of human effort and judgment. We show how this can be directly exploited to provide manually-defined yet inexpensive knowledge-bases that are specifically tailored to expose the topics, terminology and semantics of individual document collections. We are also concerned with how best to make these structures available to users, and aim to produce a complete knowledge-based retrieval system-both the knowledge base and the tools to apply it-that can be evaluated by how well it assists real users in performing realistic and practical information retrieval tasks. To this end we have developed Koru, a new search engine that offers concrete evidence of the effectiveness of our Web 2.0 based techniques for assisting information retrieval.

text: Exploiting web 2.0 forallknowledge-based information retrieval This paper describes ongoing research into obtaining and using knowledge bases to assist information retrieval. These structures are prohibitively expensive to obtain manually, yet automatic approaches have been researched for decades with limited success. This research investigates a potential shortcut: a way to provide knowledge bases automatically, without expecting computers to replace expert human indexers. Instead we aim to replace the professionals with thousands or even millions of amateurs: with the growing community of contributors who form the core of Web 2.0. Specifically we focus on Wikipedia, which represents a rich tapestry of topics and semantics and a huge investment of human effort and judgment. We show how this can be directly exploited to provide manually-defined yet inexpensive knowledge-bases that are specifically tailored to expose the topics, terminology and semantics of individual document collections. We are also concerned with how best to make these structures available to users, and aim to produce a complete knowledge-based retrieval system-both the knowledge base and the tools to apply it-that can be evaluated by how well it assists real users in performing realistic and practical information retrieval tasks. To this end we have developed Koru, a new search engine that offers concrete evidence of the effectiveness of our Web 2.0 based techniques for assisting information retrieval.

year: 2007

title: Manipulating morphology in thermoplastic protein/polyester blends for improved impact strength

authors: Smith, Matthew J.

subjects: Science & Technology

abstract: Novatein thermoplastic protein was blended with 10 wt% poly(butylene adipate- co- terephthalate) (PBAT) compatibilized with Joncryl ADR- 4368 and 2- methylimidazole (2MI). Morphology was tailored for favorable impact strength through changing vis-cosity ratio (λ) and interfacial tension (γ12). For uncompatibilized blends, λ decreased and γ12 increased with increasing Novatein water content, whereas compatibilizers caused a decrease in both λ and γ12. PBAT continuity was high when uncompatibi-lized, but dispersion improved with decreasing λ and increasing γ12. The dispersed domain size decreased in all compatibilized blends; PBAT continuity was lowest in samples with the smallest λ. Compatibilized blends had higher impact strength than Novatein  and  uncompatibilized  blends  through  improved  interfacial  adhesion,  smaller domain size, and increased dispersion. By altering λ and γ12, and with ap-propriate  chemical  interaction,  a  morphology  can  be  created  for  improved  impact  strength.  Increasing  PBAT  content  showed  further  increases  in  impact  strength;  however, a cocontinuous morphology formed, demonstrating that composition can override the effect of λ and γ12.

text: Manipulating morphology in thermoplastic protein/polyester blends for improved impact strength Novatein thermoplastic protein was blended with 10 wt% poly(butylene adipate- co- terephthalate) (PBAT) compatibilized with Joncryl ADR- 4368 and 2- methylimidazole (2MI). Morphology was tailored for favorable impact strength through changing vis-cosity ratio (λ) and interfacial tension (γ12). For uncompatibilized blends, λ decreased and γ12 increased with increasing Novatein water content, whereas compatibilizers caused a decrease in both λ and γ12. PBAT continuity was high when uncompatibi-lized, but dispersion improved with decreasing λ and increasing γ12. The dispersed domain size decreased in all compatibilized blends; PBAT continuity was lowest in samples with the smallest λ. Compatibilized blends had higher impact strength than Novatein  and  uncompatibilized  blends  through  improved  interfacial  adhesion,  smaller domain size, and increased dispersion. By altering λ and γ12, and with ap-propriate  chemical  interaction,  a  morphology  can  be  created  for  improved  impact  strength.  Increasing  PBAT  content  showed  further  increases  in  impact  strength;  however, a cocontinuous morphology formed, demonstrating that composition can override the effect of λ and γ12.

year: 2018-10-01

title: From the rākau to the ngākau

authors: Derby, Melissa

subjects: research

abstract: The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in Aotearoa New Zealand has funded 11 National Science Challenges (NSC), which aim to tackle a series of big questions affecting wellbeing in society. One Challenge, A Better Start: E Tipu E Rea, is investigating four key focus areas that children encounter in their early development and is seeking to identify the factors that contribute to forming a solid foundation for fostering wellbeing and lifelong success. Central to the principles of this Challenge is the Treaty of Waitangi in that the Treaty provides a framework to guide whānau engagement, policy change, and praxis. This article describes how a ‘ngākau’ rather than a ‘rākau’ approach to shaping research inquiry within this Challenge facilitates more authentic and mana-enhancing whānau engagement in research interactions (Macfarlane, 2019). The development of a whānau questionnaire is drawn on to illustrate the ngākau approach in practice.

text: From the rākau to the ngākau The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) in Aotearoa New Zealand has funded 11 National Science Challenges (NSC), which aim to tackle a series of big questions affecting wellbeing in society. One Challenge, A Better Start: E Tipu E Rea, is investigating four key focus areas that children encounter in their early development and is seeking to identify the factors that contribute to forming a solid foundation for fostering wellbeing and lifelong success. Central to the principles of this Challenge is the Treaty of Waitangi in that the Treaty provides a framework to guide whānau engagement, policy change, and praxis. This article describes how a ‘ngākau’ rather than a ‘rākau’ approach to shaping research inquiry within this Challenge facilitates more authentic and mana-enhancing whānau engagement in research interactions (Macfarlane, 2019). The development of a whānau questionnaire is drawn on to illustrate the ngākau approach in practice.

year: 2021