Discourse Anaphora and Anaphora Resolution in a Natural Language Interface to a Database Question Answering system

( Nor Aliah Bt. Mohd Zahri ),( Dr. Stephen Sommerville ) 한국언어정보학회 1994 국제 워크샵 Vol.1994 No.-

Allowing users to interact with a database system in a continuous question and answering dialogue provides a conversational form of interaction between the user and the system. Such facilities give the user the opportunity to use anaphoric expressions, substitution phrases and ellipses. We examine the different forms of anaphora resolution required for a Natural Language Interface (NLI) to database question-answering systems which can support cohesive and coherent dialogue interaction. Our approach adopts a minimalist methodology in that it seeks to achieve resolutions of typical forms of anaphora and ellipsis in question-answering dialogues, without over committing the interface to computationally costly processing. This methodology suggests a natural separation of roles in which modules of the interface software function as agents co-operating to resolve syntactic, semantic and discourse features of anaphoric expressions to recognise and select candidate referents from antecedent expressions. We investigate this architecture in the context of typical instances of anaphora and ellipsis, review alternative proposals for anaphora resolution from the computational linguistic and discourse theoretic literature and characterise the prototype test-bed we have used to evaluate our proposals. We conclude with some projections of future developments of this approach, together with current limitations of our resolution techniques.

Helicobacter pylori Infection and Dietary Factors Act Synergistically to Promote Gastric Cancer

Raei, Negin,Behrouz, Bahador,Zahri, Saber,Latifi-Navid, Saeid Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.3

However, the incidence of gastric cancer (GC) has been decreased in past decades; GC is the second cause of cancer related death in the world. Evidence has illustrated that several factors including Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, host genetics, and environmental factors (smoking and particularly diet) may play a crucial role in gastric carcinogenesis. It has been demonstrated that high consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, high level of selenium and zinc in drinking water, sufficient iron, and cholesterol protect against GC, while; smoked, pickled, and preserved foods in salt, and nitrites increase the risk of GC. Epidemiological studies have also proved that H. pylori infection and a high salt diet could independently induce atrophic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia. Recently, studies have been demonstrated that dietary factors directly influence H. pylori virulence. The use of appropriate diet could reduce levels of H. pylori colonization or virulence and prevent or delay development of peptic ulcers or gastric carcinoma. This is attractive from a number of perspectives including those of cost, treatment tolerability, and cultural acceptability. This review will describe new insights into the pathogenesis of H. pylori in relation to environmental factors, especially dietary, not only to find the developed means for preventing and treating GC, but also for understanding the role of chronic inflammation in the development of other malignancies.

Helicobacter pylori cag Pathogenicity Island cagL and orf17 Genotypes Predict Risk of Peptic Ulcerations but not Gastric Cancer in Iran

Raei, Negin,Latifi-Navid, Saeid,Zahri, Saber Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2015 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.16 No.15

Background: Gastric cancer (GC) is the third most common cancer regarding mortality in the world. The cag pathogenicity island (PAI) of Helicobacter pylori which contains genes associated with a more aggressive phenotype may involve in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal disease. We here aimed to examine the associations of cagH, cagL, orf17, and cagG genotypes of H. pylori cag PAI with severe gastrointestinal disease. Materials and Methods: A total of 242 H. pylori strains were genotyped. Histopathological examination and classification of subjects were performed. Results: The frequencies of the cagH, cagL, cagG, and orf17 genotypes were 40/54 (74.1%), 53/54 (98.1%), 38/54 (70.4%), and 43/54 (79.6%), respectively, in patients with peptidic ulceration (PU),while in the control group, the frequencies were 87/147 (59.6%) for cagH, 121/146 (82.9%) for cagL, 109/146 (74.7%) for cagG, and 89/146 (61.0%) for orf17. The results of simple logistic regression analysis showed that the cagL and orf17 genotypes were significantly associated with an increased risk of PU not GC; the ORs (95% CI) were 10.950 (1.446-82.935), and 2.504 (1.193-5.253), respectively. No significant association was found between the cagH and cagG genotypes and the risk of both the PU and the GC in Iran (P>0.05). Finally, multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the cagL genotype was independently and significantly associated with the age-and sex-adjusted risk for PU; the OR (95% CI) was 9.557 (1.219-17.185). Conclusions: We conclude that the orf17 and especially cagL genotypes of H. pylori cag PAI could be factors for risk prediction of PU, but not GC in Iran.

Helicobacter pylori babA2 Positivity Predicts Risk of Gastric Cancer in Ardabil, a Very High-Risk Area in Iran

Abdi, Esmat,Latifi-Navid, Saeid,Yazdanbod, Abbas,Zahri, Saber Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2016 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.17 No.2

Background: Ardabil, a Northwestern province of Iran, was found to have the highest rate of gastric cancer (GC) in the country (ASRs = 51.8/100,000 for males and 24.9/100,000 for females) and one of the highest gastric cardia cancer rates in the world. The aim of the present study was to assess the associations of the cagA and babA2 status of Helicobacter pylori with GC in the Ardabil population. Materials and Methods: A total of 103 patients with non-atrophic gastritis (56) and GC (47), who underwent endoscopy at the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Ardabil, were assessed. The status of 16S rDNA, cagA and babA2 genes was determined using PCR and histopathological assessment was performed. Results: The following genotypic frequency was observed: cagA+ (50.6%), cagA-(49.4%), babA2+ (26.5%), babA2- (73.5%) cagA+/babA2+ (19.3%), cagA-/babA2+ (7.2%), cagA+/babA2-(31.3%), cagA-/babA2-(42.2%). Although the frequency of the cagA+, cagA+/babA2+ and cagA-/babA2+ genotypes in patients with GC (55.6%, 25.9%, and 14.8%, respectively) was higher than in those with NAG (48.2%, 16.1%, and 3.6%, respectively), the difference did not reach significance. In contrast, the presence of the babA2 gene (40.7% vs 19.6%) significantly increased the risk of GC; the age-sex-adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval) was 5.068 (1.506-17.058; P=0.009), by multiple logistic regression. Conclusions: It is proposed that the H. pylori babA2 positivity might be considered as an important determinant of GC risk in Ardabil.

Characterization of Rhizophora SPP. particleboards with SOY protein isolate modified with NaOH/IA-PAE adhesive for use as phantom material at photon energies of 16.59-25.26 keV

Samson, Damilola Oluwafemi,Shukri, Ahmad,Mat Jafri, Mohd Zubir,Hashim, Rokiah,Sulaiman, Othman,Aziz, Mohd Zahri Abdul,Yusof, Mohd Fahmi Mohd Korean Nuclear Society 2021 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.53 No.1

In this work, Rhizophora spp. particleboard phantoms were made using SPI-based adhesives, modified with sodium hydroxide and itaconic acid polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin (0, 5, 10, and 15 wt%). An X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging system was used to ascertain the CT numbers and density distribution profiles of the particleboards. The SPI-based/NaOH/IA-PAE/Rhizophora spp. particleboard phantoms with 15 wt% IA-PAE addition level had the highest solid content, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and internal bonding strength of 36.06 ± 1.08%, 18.61 ± 0.38 Nmm^-2, 7605.76 ± 0.89 Nmm^-2, and 0.463 ± 0.053 Nmm^-2, respectively. The moisture content, mass density, water absorption, and dimensional stability were 6.93 ± 0.27%, 0.962 ± 0.037 gcm^-3, 22.36 ± 2.47%, and 10.90 ± 0.86%, respectively. The results revealed that the mass attenuation coefficients and effective atomic number values within the 16.59-25.26 keV photon energy region, were close to the calculated XCOM values in water, with a p-value of 0.077. Moreover, the CT images showed that the dissimilarities in the discrepancy of the profile density decreased as the IA-PAE concentrations increased. Therefore, these results support the appropriateness of the SPI-based/NaOH/IA-PAE/Rhizophora spp. particleboard with 15 wt% IA-PAE adhesive as a suitable tissue-equivalent phantom material for medical health applications.

Variation of optimization techniques for high dose rate brachytherapy in cervical cancer treatment

Ahmad Naqiuddin Azahari,Ahmad Tirmizi Ghani,Reduan Abdullah,Jayapramila Jayamani,Gokula Kumar Appalanaido,Jasmin Jalil,Mohd Zahri Abdul Aziz 한국원자력학회 2022 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.54 No.4

High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy treatment planning usually involves optimization methods todeliver uniform dose to the target volume and minimize dose to the healthy tissues. Four optimizationswere used to evaluate the high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV) coverage and organ at risk (OAR). Dose-volume histogram (DVH) and dosimetric parameters were analyzed and evaluated. Better coveragewas achieved with PGO (mean CI ¼ 0.95), but there were no significant mean CI differences than GrO(p ¼ 0.03322). Mean EQD2 doses to HRCTV (D90) were also superior for PGO with no significant meanEQD2 doses than GrO (p ¼ 0.9410). The mean EQD2 doses to bladder, rectum, and sigmoid weresignificantly higher for NO plan than PO, GrO, and PGO. PO significantly reduced the mean EQD2 doses tobladder, rectum, and sigmoid but compromising the conformity index to HRCTV. PGO was superior inconformity index (CI) and mean EQD2 doses to HRCTV compared with the GrO plan but not statisticallysignificant. The mean EQD2 doses to the rectum by PGO plan slightly exceeded the limit from ABSrecommendation (mean EQD2 dose ¼ 78.08 Gy EQD2). However, PGO can shorten the treatment planningprocess without compromising the CI and keeping the OARs dose below the tolerance limit.

Radiation attenuation and elemental composition of locally available ceramic tiles as potential radiation shielding materials for diagnostic X-ray rooms

Zakaria Mohd Aizuddin,Abdul Razab Mohammad Khairul Azhar,Adenan Mohd Zulfadli,Ahmad Muhammad Zabidi,Tajudin Suffian Mohamad,Samson Damilola Oluwafemi,Abdul Aziz Mohd Zahri 한국원자력학회 2024 Nuclear Engineering and Technology Vol.56 No.1

Ceramic materials are being explored as alternatives to toxic lead sheets for radiation shielding due to their favorable properties like durability, thermal stability, and aesthetic appeal. However, crafting effective ceramics for radiation shielding entails complex processes, raising production costs. To investigate local viability, this study evaluated Malaysian ceramic tiles for shielding in diagnostic X-ray rooms. Different ceramics in terms of density and thickness were selected from local manufacturers. Energy Dispersive X-ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) characterized ceramic compositions, while Monte Carlo Particle and Heavy Ion Transport code System (MC PHITS) simulations determined Linear Attenuation Coefficient (LAC), Half-value Layer (HVL), Mass Attenuation Coefficient (MAC), and Mean Free Path (MFP) within the 40–150 kV energy range. Comparative analysis between MC PHITS simulations and real setups was conducted. The C3–S9 ceramic sample, known for homogeneous full-color structure, showcased superior shielding attributes, attributed to its high density and iron content. Notably, energy levels considerably impacted radiation penetration. Overall, C3–S9 demonstrated strong shielding performance, underlining Malaysia’s potential ceramic tile resources for Xray room radiation shielding.