The "handedness" of language: Directional symmetry breaking of sign usage in words

Language, which allows complex ideas to be communicated through symbolic sequences, is a characteristic feature of our species and manifested in a multitude of forms. Using large written corpora for many different languages and scripts, we show that the occurrence probability distributions of signs at the left and right ends of words have a distinct heterogeneous nature. Characterizing this asymmetry using quantitative inequality measures, viz. information entropy and the Gini index, we show that the beginning of a word is less restrictive in sign usage than the end. This property is not simply attributable to the use of common affixes as it is seen even when only word roots are considered. We use the existence of this asymmetry to infer the direction of writing in undeciphered inscriptions that agrees with the archaeological evidence. Unlike traditional investigations of phonotactic constraints which focus on language-specific patterns, our study reveals a property valid across languages and writing systems. As both language and writing are unique aspects of our species, this universal signature may reflect an innate feature of the human cognitive phenomenon.Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures + Supplementary Information (15 pages, 8 figures), final corrected versio

The Influence of First Language Aptitude and Print Exposure (Arabic) on Foreign Language Learning Performance (English) And the Effectiveness of the General Aptitude Test in Saudi Arabia

This study seeks to examine areas of influence of the first language on the second language that have not yet been explored, supported or evaluated in the domain of language skills transfer. The extent that one’s ability in one’s first language (L1) can predict success and performance in learning a second language (L2) is of special interest to researchers of second language acquisition (SLA). This area of study seeks to better understand language learners and the factors involved in learning a new language. Cross-linguistic influence (CLI) is a phenomenon the presence of which is confirmed by investigations into speakers’ language performance in many aspects of language. However, most of the studies have been concerned with Indo-European languages which use the Latin script. This study investigated the influence of Arabic, which is a Semitic language that uses a different script to that used in English. It focuses on reading skills and exposure to print deriving from the premises of the interdependence hypothesis that all languages share common cognitive mechanisms. This study aimed to report on CLI for English FL adult learners. Moreover, the study examined the role of other influential factors for foreign language learning (FLL) that are thought to affect the relationship, such as motivation and learning strategies. Understanding the relationship between performance in Arabic as a first language and English as a second language is important because, in Saudi Arabia, admission to English language courses at university is determined by the General Aptitude Test (GAT) which is a test of students’ aptitude in Arabic. This study, therefore, evaluates the effectiveness of the GAT to predict students’ performance on English courses. Previous studies have found the GAT is effective in predicting overall performance at university, but this study focusses on English language performance and reading skills in particular. This study also analysed different constructs within the test to identify which ones may be more effective predictors of English language performance. Data were collected from tests and questionnaire involving 248 students at a Saudi university. Analysis included correlation, regression and path analyses to test the study’s hypotheses regarding the proposed relationships, whether directly or indirectly. The main findings were as follows: 1. There is a moderate and predictable relationship between aptitude in Arabic and English reading skills. 2. There is no relationship between print exposure in Arabic and performance in English. 3. The GAT is effective in predicting performance in English language courses at university. 4. Intrinsic motivation and problem-solving learning strategies can moderate the relationship between the L1 and L2. These findings contribute to the body of research in relation to cross-linguistic influence, specifically in relation to Arabic speakers learning English. It also provides support for the application of the GAT as a requirement for university admission to English language courses in Saudi Arabia and can inform policymakers regarding the use of GAT in other Arabic-speaking regions. Aptitude in Arabic, with students having an intrinsic motivation for learning languages and adopting problem-solving strategies for learning can contribute to the prediction of performance in an English language programme at university

The Politics of Dreaming – from Diderot to Keats and Shelley

Dreaming, seemingly a private activity, can exhibit political and ideological dimensions. The first part of this article looks at the ideological significance, within late Enlightenment and Romantic-era culture, of the very activity of dreaming, with particular reference to Diderot’s Le Réve de d’Alembert. Nocturnal dreaming and the somnambulistic behaviors closely associated with dreaming can and did challenge orthodox notions of the integral subject, of volition, of an immaterial soul, and even of the distinction between humans and animals. The second half of the article looks at two literary dreams, from the poetry of Shelley and Keats, considering how represented dreams can have pronounced ideological and political valences. The article as a whole illustrates the claims and methods of cognitive historicist literary critique

Artificial intelligence based writer identification generates new evidence for the unknown scribes of the Dead Sea Scrolls exemplified by the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa)

The Dead Sea Scrolls are tangible evidence of the Bible's ancient scribal culture. This study takes an innovative approach to palaeography-the study of ancient handwriting-as a new entry point to access this scribal culture. One of the problems of palaeography is to determine writer identity or difference when the writing style is near uniform. This is exemplified by the Great Isaiah Scroll (1QIsaa). To this end, we use pattern recognition and artificial intelligence techniques to innovate the palaeography of the scrolls and to pioneer the microlevel of individual scribes to open access to the Bible's ancient scribal culture. We report new evidence for a breaking point in the series of columns in this scroll. Without prior assumption of writer identity, based on point clouds of the reduced-dimensionality feature-space, we found that columns from the first and second halves of the manuscript ended up in two distinct zones of such scatter plots, notably for a range of digital palaeography tools, each addressing very different featural aspects of the script samples. In a secondary, independent, analysis, now assuming writer difference and using yet another independent feature method and several different types of statistical testing, a switching point was found in the column series. A clear phase transition is apparent in columns 27-29. We also demonstrated a difference in distance variances such that the variance is higher in the second part of the manuscript. Given the statistically significant differences between the two halves, a tertiary, post-hoc analysis was performed using visual inspection of character heatmaps and of the most discriminative Fraglet sets in the script. Demonstrating that two main scribes, each showing different writing patterns, were responsible for the Great Isaiah Scroll, this study sheds new light on the Bible's ancient scribal culture by providing new, tangible evidence that ancient biblical texts were not copied by a single scribe only but that multiple scribes, while carefully mirroring another scribe's writing style, could closely collaborate on one particular manuscript

A novel terpene synthase controls differences in anti-aphrodisiac pheromone production between closely related Heliconius butterflies.

Plants and insects often use the same compounds for chemical communication, but not much is known about the genetics of convergent evolution of chemical signals. The terpene (E)-β-ocimene is a common component of floral scent and is also used by the butterfly Heliconius melpomene as an anti-aphrodisiac pheromone. While the biosynthesis of terpenes has been described in plants and microorganisms, few terpene synthases (TPSs) have been identified in insects. Here, we study the recent divergence of 2 species, H. melpomene and Heliconius cydno, which differ in the presence of (E)-β-ocimene; combining linkage mapping, gene expression, and functional analyses, we identify 2 novel TPSs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that one, HmelOS, is able to synthesise (E)-β-ocimene in vitro. We find no evidence for TPS activity in HcydOS (HmelOS ortholog of H. cydno), suggesting that the loss of (E)-β-ocimene in this species is the result of coding, not regulatory, differences. The TPS enzymes we discovered are unrelated to previously described plant and insect TPSs, demonstrating that chemical convergence has independent evolutionary origins

Shifting Goals And Mounting Challenges For Statistical Methodology

Modern interdisciplinary research in statistical science encompasses a wide field: agriculture, biology, biomedical sciences along with bioinformatics, clinical sciences, education, environmental and public health disciplines, genomic science, industry, molecular genetics, socio-behavior, socio-economics, toxicology, and a variety of other disciplines. Statistical science has historically had mathematical perspectives dominating theoretical and methodological developments. Yet, the advent of modern information technology has opened the doors for highly computation intensive statistical tools (i.e., software), wherein mathematical aspects are often de-emphasized. Knowledge discovery and data mining (KDDM) is now becoming a dominating force, with bioinformatics as a notable example. In view of this apparent discordance between mathematical (frequentist as well as Bayesian) and computational approaches to statistical resolutions, and a genuine need to formulate training as well as research curricula to meet growing demands, a critical appraisal of statistical innovations is made with due respect to its mathematical heritage, as well as scope of application. Some of the challenging statistical tasks are illustrated

A novel terpene synthase controls differences in anti-aphrodisiac pheromone production between closely related Heliconius butterflies

Plants and insects often use the same compounds for chemical communication, but not much is known about the genetics of convergent evolution of chemical signals. The terpene (E)-beta-ocimene is a common component of floral scent and is also used by the butterfly Heliconius melpomene as an anti-aphrodisiac pheromone. While the biosynthesis of terpenes has been described in plants and microorganisms, few terpene synthases (TPSs) have been identified in insects. Here, we study the recent divergence of 2 species, H. melpomene and Heliconius cydno, which differ in the presence of (E)-beta-ocimene; combining linkage mapping, gene expression, and functional analyses, we identify 2 novel TPSs. Furthermore, we demonstrate that one, HmelOS, is able to synthesise (E)-beta-ocimene in vitro. We find no evidence for TPS activity in HcydOS (HmelOS ortholog of H. cydno), suggesting that the loss of (E)-beta-ocimene in this species is the result of coding, not regulatory, differences. The TPS enzymes we discovered are unrelated to previously described plant and insect TPSs, demonstrating that chemical convergence has independent evolutionary origins.Peer reviewe

Patrick Air Force Base Branch Brevard Campus Catalogues

Rollins College catalogue with list of faculty and students and courses by department