Fifty shades of morphosyntactic microvariation

Peer reviewe

An analysis and comparison of predominant word sense disambiguation algorithms

This thesis investigates research performed in the area of natural language processing. It is the aim of this research to compare a selection of predominant word sense disambiguation algorithms, and also determine if they can be optimised by small changes to the parameters used by the algorithms. To perform this research, several word sense disambiguation algorithms will be implemented in Java, and run on a range of test corpora. The algorithms will be judged on metrics such as speed and accuracy, and any other results obtained; while an algorithm may be fast and accurate, there may be other factors making it less desirable. Finally, to demonstrate the purpose and usefulness of using better algorithms, the algorithms will be used in conjunction with a real world application. Five algorithms were used in this research: The standard Lesk algorithm, the simplified Lesk algorithm, a Lesk algorithm variant using hypernyms, a Lesk algorithm variant using synonyms, and a baseline performance algorithm. While the baseline algorithm should have been less accurate than the other algorithms, testing found that it could disambiguate words more accurately than any of the other algorithms, seemingly because the baseline makes use of statistical data in WordNet, the machine readable dictionary used for testing; data unable to be used by the other algorithms. However, with a few modifications, the Simplified Lesk algorithm was able to reach performance just a few percent lower than that of the baseline algorithm. It is the aim of this research to apply word sense disambiguation to automatic concept mapping, to determine if more accurate algorithms are able to display noticeably better results in a real world application. It was found in testing, that the overall accuracy of the algorithm had little effect on the quality of concept maps produced, but rather depended on the text being examined

The Political System of the Atoni of Timor

Indonesi

Formation of the plural in English : a study of native speakers of English and native speakers of Spanish

The purpose of this investigation was to study one restricted area of language acquisition--the formation of English plurals. Emphasis was placed on carefully controlled sampling, data collection and analysis procedures in an attempt to provide a methodological model which might prove useful to other investigators in their research. This was a descriptive study, and accordingly, all data are reported, amenability to theoretical integration at no point having determined the highlighting or exclusion of any of the information. Whatever interpretations or allusions to theory may be found in the text, while judged relevant enough for inclusion, are incidental to the main purpose of this research, and should be so viewed. The principal aim of this study was the collection of "hard data" and the provision of unequivocal descriptions of those data. That is, the importance of these data lies not in their relevance to any notions particular to this endeavor, but, rather, precisely in their totally empirical foundation. Two linguistic samples were used--native speakers of English and native speakers of Spanish in San Antonio, Texas. An attempt was made to approximate the longitudinal process of acquisition of plurals through apparent time by having as Subjects pupils in the first, second, third and tenth grades. Chapter I presents a critical examination of the literature dealing with first language acquisition deemed most relevant, as well as a similar discussion of material concerned with second language acquisition. This review provides not only the background for this study, but also much of the rationale for the research design which is outlined in Chapter 11. The two final chapters are dedicated to the presentation and discussion of the findings of this investigation.Linguistic

Western Episcopal Observer April 3, 1841

https://digital.kenyon.edu/observer1841/1038/thumbnail.jp

Clergy cultural competency : multicultural competency as a prerequisite for ministry in Hawaii

https://place.asburyseminary.edu/ecommonsatsdissertations/1826/thumbnail.jp

Early lateral preferences and mental processing trends in black preschoolers.

A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts, University of the Witwatersrand in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of PhilosophyThe current study adopts a developmental neuropsychological perspective, an approach which does not imply brain dysfunction but rather the principle of understanding the general relationship hetween brain growth and behavioural changes and the effect of environmental factors in children. A neuropsychology of normal development would seem to be an appropriate initial prerequisite if we are to understand the effects of brain insult or disease in the developing child. A modest aim was to acquire a fundamental understanding of emerging skills in black preschool children, starting with the most basic, the development of lateral preferences. This area was selected (a) as a departure point because of its location within the broad area of cerebrallateralization and (b) the opportunity it provided to explore the children's mental processing skills within the same theoretical perspective. The purpose of the present study was the longitudinal investigation of lateral preferences in a sample of Soweto children at three and five years.and information processing skills in the same sample at five years. Three hundred and thirty-five children, 170 girls and 165 boys, were sampled with the assistance of the Birth to Ten project.a longitudinal study of growth, health and development of children living in the Johannesburg Metropolitan area over a ten year period, 1990 to 2000. The children were assessed prior to starting school in January, 1996. A descriptive approach was adopted in explaining the patterns of handedness, footedness and eyeness. The findings showed that the patterns for handedness reflected the expected rightward direction at both ages although the degree to which preference has oeen established was weaker at five years than that reported in other studies with children of similar ages. Thirty-nine percent of the sample were mixed-handed at five years,only 3% were mixed-footed and 5% showed mixed-eyeness, At five years Simultaneous and Sequential information processing skills were assessed with the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). Factor analysis revealed a two factor solution broadly supporting the presence of the two processing styles. However the two coding processes were differentially distributed throughout the sample showing significant differences. More specifically.it was found that 34% of the children presented profiles of both processing styles that were below the group mean;31 % showed profiles where one or other coding style was below the group mean;23 % of the children portrayed processing profiles above the group mean. Thirty-nine children (12 %) presented patterns of processing that were above the group mean but were highly developed in one or other processing style. Each of the profiles that emerged were grouped and considered separately. Cognitive tasks involving verbal fluency, naming skills,draw-a person,basic perceptual knowledge,basic literacy.plus lateral preference information such as handedness direction, handedness consistency and handedness skills were appended to all the groups. Low scores in processing styles were found to be associated with poor verbal skills, low mental age,poor perceptual and basic literacy knowledge,poor hand skill performance,and greater (but nonsignificant) numbers of mixed-handers. The lowest scoring group also contained the majority of male left-handers. One of the highest scoring groups showed the strongest lateralizing patterns although the numbers were small (n= 11). Girls with above average sequential skills also scored highly on verbal fluency (p < .05) and hand skills (p < .05). Boys in this group showed the strongest degree of right-handedness (p < .05). In the four lower performance groups,background variables such as type of preschool experience (p <.001),the presence of books in the home (p < .05) and mothers level of education (p <.001) were found to be significant. A regression model which incorporated environmental, epigenetic, cognitive and motoric factors was found to be the most viable in predicting processing skills.Andrew Chakane 201