Automatic generation of multiple choice questions using dependency-based semantic relations

In this paper, we present an unsupervised dependency-based approach to extract semantic relations to be applied in the context of automatic generation of multiple choice questions (MCQs). MCQs also known as multiple choice tests provide a popular solution for large-scale assessments as they make it much easier for test-takers to take tests and for examiners to interpret their results. Manual generation of MCQs is a very expensive and time-consuming task and yet they often need to be produced on a large scale and within short iterative cycles. We approach the problem of automated MCQ generation with the help of unsupervised relation extraction, a technique used in a number of related natural language processing problems. The goal of Unsupervised relation extraction is to identify the most important named entities and terminology in a document and then recognise semantic relations between them, without any prior knowledge as to the semantic types of the relations or their specific linguistic realisation. We use these techniques to process instructional texts and identify those facts (terminology, entities, and semantic relations between them) that are likely to be important for assessing test-takers’ familiarity with the instructional material. We investigate an approach to learn semantic relations between named entities by employing a dependency tree model. Our findings show that an optimised configuration of our MCQ generation system is capable of attaining high precision rates, which are much more important than recall in the automatic generation of MCQs. We also carried out a user-centric evaluation of the system, where subject domain experts evaluated automatically generated MCQ items in terms of readability, usefulness of semantic relations, relevance, acceptability of questions and distractors and overall MCQ usability. The results of this evaluation make it possible for us to draw conclusions about the utility of the approach in practical e-Learning applications.     

Electron beam melting of gamma titanium aluminide and investigating the effect of EBM layer orientation on milling performance

Electron beam melting (EBM) is one of the growing processes of additive manufacturing technology (AMT) to fabricate 3D parts from various difficult-to-process materials such as titanium alloys. A major limitation of the EBM process is the poor surface finish of the produced parts which ultimately demands a subsequent subtractive method (secondary finishing operation) to improve the surface finish for shaping the part to be fit for-end use applications where high surface finish is commonly required. With respect to the EBM layer build direction, the fabricated part has different orientations with varying surface characteristics. Therefore, in order to perform secondary finishing operation (e.g., milling) there are different choices of EBM part orientation to select the direction of tool feed. In this research, 3D parts of titanium alloy (gamma titanium aluminide; γ-TiAl) are additively manufactured through EBM process. The effect of EBM layer/part orientation on the milling performance is further investigated in terms of surface finish improvement and edge chipping evaluation. It has been observed that the EBM layer/part orientation with respect to milling tool feed direction (TFD) plays a vital role in milling performance. Thus, a care must be taken to select the appropriate tool feed direction and layer/part orientation in order to achieve maximum surface finish with minimum edge chipping. The results revealed the vertical milling can be adopted as a secondary finishing operation to be performed on EBM produced parts of γ-TiAl and it allows to significantly improve the poor surface finish generated by EBM (R_a 31 μm). Furthermore, among the available part orientation choices, the part orientation in which the milling tool is fed across the EBM layer build direction is the best orientation resulting into high surface finish (R_a 0.12 μm) with relatively smooth edges (minimum chipping-off).     

Nature-inspired heuristic paradigms for parameter estimation of control autoregressive moving average systems

Neural Computing and Applications - Aim of this research is to explore the strength of evolutionary and swarm intelligence techniques for parameter identification of control autoregressive moving...     

Response to Comment on the paper “Heat transfer enhancement in hydromagnetic dissipative flow past a moving wedge suspended by H2O-aluminum alloy nanoparticles in the presence of thermal radiation,Umar Khan,Adnan, Naveed Ahmed,Syed Tauseef,Mohyud-Din” [Int J Hydrogen Energy 42 (2017) 24634–24644]

This is reply to the comment on the paper [1].     

MHD flow of radiative micropolar nanofluid in a porous channel: optimal and numerical solutions

The flow of a radiative and electrically conducting micropolar nanofluid inside a porous channel is investigated. After implementing the similarity transformations, the partial differential equations representing the radiative flow are reduced to a system of ordinary differential equations. The subsequent equations are solved by making use of a well-known analytical method called homotopy analysis method (HAM). The expressions concerning the velocity, microrotation, temperature, and nanoparticle concentration profiles are obtained. The radiation tends to drop the temperature profile for the fluid. The formulation for local Nusselt and Sherwood numbers is also presented. Tabular and graphical results highlighting the effects of different physical parameters are presented. Rate of heat transfer at the lower wall is seen to be increasing with higher values of the radiation parameter while a drop in heat transfer rate at the upper wall is observed. Same problem has been solved by implementing the numerical procedure called the Runge–Kutta method. A comparison between the HAM, numerical and already existing results has also been made.

     

Squeezing flow of MHD fluid between parallel disks

Squeezing flow between parallel disks is studied for the case when one disk is porous and the other is impermeable. Viable similarity transform is used to reduce the problem to a highly nonlinear ordinary differential equation. Variation of Parameters Method (VPM) is then employed to determine the solution to resulting ordinary differential equation. Numerical solution is also obtained using R-K 4 method and comparison shows an excellent agreement between both the solutions. Effects of different physical parameters on the flow are also discussed with the help of graphs coupled with comprehensive discussions.     

Energy Efficient Handover for Heterogeneous Networks: A Non-Cooperative Game Theoretic Approach

Wireless Personal Communications - The small cell technology is considered as a key technology for 5G networks. The capacity expansion and coverage extension are both achieved through this...     

Integrating renewables economic dispatch with demand side management in micro-grids: a genetic algorithm-based approach

Economic dispatch and demand side management are two of the most important tools for efficient energy management in the grid. It is a casual observation that both these processes are intertwined and thus complement each other. Strategies aiming to optimize economic dispatch have implications for demand side management techniques and vice versa. In this paper, we present a genetic algorithm-based solution which combines economic dispatch and demand side management for residential loads in a micro-grid. Our system collects preferences of demand data from consumers and costs of energy of various sources. It then finds the optimal demand scheduling and energy generation mix for the given time window. Our evaluations show that the given approach can effectively reduce operating costs in a single- and multiple-facility micro-grids for both suppliers and consumers alike.     

Security & Privacy in Software Defined Networks,Issues, Challenges and Cost of Developed Solutions: A Systematic Literature Review

International Journal of Wireless Information Networks - Due to fast development in digital systems, the traditional network architecture is becoming inadequate for the requirements of new...