Explaining dysfunctional effects of lexicographical communication

During a keynote address at an international conference of AFRILEX articles from a bilingual dictionary with Afrikaans as one of the treated languages was presented. One of the articles was that of the lemma vuvuzela, which contained the example sentence Vuvuzelas maak 'n groot lawaai by sokkerwedstryde [± Vuvuzelas make a lot of noise at soccer matches]. A member of the audience criticised this example for apparently not reflecting the notion of festivity and celebration, with which the vuvuzela is also associated; instead, it seemed that the example focused only on a negative feature of the vuvuzela. From the ensuing discussion it became clear that there seemed to be no theoretical framework against which the criticism could be validated and productively dealt with, even though the lexicographer ultimately offered to review the example.This article introduces elements of the theory of lexicographical communication and applies them to scaffold such a framework. It is argued that indicators in dictionary articles can be regarded as lexicographic utterances that carry various types of lexicographic messages. These can be systematically and formally analysed to identify functional, non-functional and dysfunctional effects of lexicographical communication. Problems with lexicographical communication can then be diagnosed and addressed. This potential is illustrated by treating the above-mentioned occurrence as a case study. In conclusion, the value of the relevant elements of the theory for the evaluation of dictionaries is briefly outlined.Keywords: Appeal, dictionary, dysfunctional effect, expressive function, functional effect, information, lexicographer, lexicographic message, lexicographic utterance, lexicographical communication, lexicography, non-functional effect, referential, relational, target userDie verklaring van disfunksionele effekte van leksikografiese kommunikasieGedurende 'n hoofreferaat by 'n internasionale konferensie van AFRILEX is artikels van 'n tweetalige woordeboek met Afrikaans as een van die behandelde tale aangebied. Een van die artikels was dié van die lemma vuvuzela, wat die voorbeeldsin Vuvuzelas maak 'n groot lawaai by sokkerwedstryde bevat het. 'n Lid van die gehoor het hierdie voorbeeld gekritiseer omdat volgens hom dit nie die idee van feestelikheid weerspieël waarmee die vuvuzela ook geassosieer word nie; dit het naamlik gelyk of die voorbeeldsin op slegs 'n negatiewe aspek van die vuvuzela fokus. Uit die voortspruitende bespreking het dit geblyk dat daar nie 'n teoretiese raamwerk bestaan waarvolgens die kritiek bekragtig en produktief hanteer kon word nie, afgesien daarvan dat die leksikograaf aangebied het om die voorbeeldsin te hersien.Hierdie artikel stel elemente van die teorie van leksikografiese kommunikasie bekend en pas hulle toe om so 'n raamwerk te skep. Daar word aangevoer dat aanduiders in woordeboekartikels beskou kan word as leksikografiese uitings wat verskillende tipes leksikografiese boodskappe dra. Hulle kan sistematies en formeel analiseer word om funksionele, niefunksionele en disfunksionele effekte van leksikografiese kommunikasie te identifiseer. Probleme met leksikografiese kommunikasie kan dan gediagnoseer en opgelos word. Hierdie potensiaal word geïllustreer deur die toepassing van die teorie op die bogenoemde voorval as 'n gevallestudie. Ter afsluiting word die relevante elemente van die teorie se waarde in die evaluering van woordeboeke kortliks uiteengesit.Sleutelwoorde: Appèl, difunksionele effek, ekspressief, funksie, funksionele effek, inligting, leksikograaf, leksikografie, leksikografiese boodskap, leksikografiese kommunikasie, leksikografiese uiting, niefunksionele effek, referensieel, relasioneel, tekengebruiker, woordeboe

Epidemiological models of rabies in domestic dogs: dynamics and control

Epidemiological models are frequently used to estimate basic parameters, evaluate alternative control strategies, and set levels for control measures such as vaccination, culling, or quarantine. However, inferences drawn from these models are sensitive to the assumptions upon which they are based. While many simple models provide qualitative insights into disease dynamics and control, they may not fully capture the mechanisms driving transmission dynamics and, therefore, may not be reasonable approximations of reality. This thesis examines how the predictions made by simple models are influenced by assumptions regarding the dispersion of the transition periods, alternative infection states, and transmission heterogeneity resulting from population structuring. More realistic models of rabies transmission dynamics among domestic dogs in Serengeti District (Tanzania) are developed and applied to the problem of assessing vaccination efficacy, and designing pulsed vaccination campaigns. Several themes emerge from the discussion of the models. First, the characteristics of outbreaks can be strongly influenced by the dispersion of the incubation and infectious period distributions, which has important implications for parameter estimation, such as the estimation of the basic reproductive number, R0. Similarly, alternative infection states, such as long incubation times, can substantially alter outbreak characteristics. Second, we find that simple SEIR models fail to accurately capture important aspects of rabies disease outbreaks among domestic dog populations in northern Tanzania, and therefore may be a poor basis for assigning control targets in this system. More complex models that included the role of human intervention in limiting outbreak severity, or that included population structure, were able to reproduce the observed outbreak size distribution. We argue that there is greater support for the structured population model, and discuss the implications of the three models on the evaluation of vaccination efficacy. Third, at a more regional scale, we build metapopulation models of rabies transmission among domestic dog sub-populations. We use a Bayesian framework to evaluate competing hypotheses about mechanisms driving transmission, and sources of reinfection external to the dog population. The distance between sub-populations, and the size of the sub-populations receiving and transmitting infection are identified as important components of transmission dynamics. We also find evidence for a relatively high rate of re-infection of these populations from neighbouring inhabited districts, or from other species distributed throughout the study area, rather than from adjacent wildlife protected areas. We use the highest ranked models to quantify the efficacy of vaccination campaigns that took place between 2002-2007. This work demonstrates how a coarse, proximate sentinel of rabies infection is useful for making inferences about spatial disease dynamics and the efficacy of control measures. Finally, we use these metapopulation models to evaluate alternative strategies of pulse vaccination in order to maximize the reduction in the occurrence of rabies. The strategies vary in both the way in which vaccine doses are allocated to sub-populations, and in the trade-off between the frequency and intensity of vaccination pulses. The most effective allocation strategy was based on a measure of the importance of sub-populations to disease dynamics, and it had 30-50% higher efficacy than the other strategies investigated. This work demonstrates the strong potential for the role of metapopulation models in optimizing disease control strategies

Die teenstellingsdefinisie in Afrikaanse verklarende woordeboeke

English Title: The Contrastive Definition in Afrikaans Explanatory DictionariesEnglish AbstractThis paper deals with the contrastive definition which is readily applied in Afrikaans standard explanatory dictionaries to define the female member of a gender opposition pair. The aim of the paper is to determine whether the contrastive definition is a full lexicographic definition, and whether its application is lexicographically justifiable. The terms gender opposition, gender opposition pairs, male and female members of gender opposition pairs and contrastive definition are explained at the outset. Arguments in favour of the application of the contrastive definition found in Afrikaans metalexicographic literature, are presented, followed by arguments opposing its use. The absence of an evaluation of the contrastive definition as lexicographic definition is confirmed, and such an evaluation, based on further research into the use of the contrastive definition in the Verklarende Handwoordeboek van die Afrikaanse Taal, is consequently presented. The implications of the use of the contrastive definition in terms of current lexicographic conventions and the employment of a model in terms of which lexicographic definitions can be classified, lead to the conclusion that the contrastive definition cannot be regarded as a lexicographic definition. Comparable defining strategies in non-Afrikaans dictionaries are briefly highlighted, followed by proposals for the alternative treatment of (female members of) morphologically marked gender opposition pairs.Keywords: contrastive definition; cross reference; female members; gender opposition; gender opposition pairs; lexicographer; lexicographic treatment; lexicographic definition; male members; morphologically marked gender opposition pairs; reference; semantic and syntactic information; semantic explanation; standard explanatory dictionar

Die naslaanpotensiaal van lemmakandidate vir 'n monofunksionele beknopte Nederlands-Afrikaans-woordeboek

Die beplanning van ʼn monofunksionele, beknopte Nederlands-Afrikaans-woordeboek in die gedrukte  medium plaas welbekende tradisionele beperkinge op die leksikograaf, waarvan die vernaamste dié op  ruimte is. Gegee die konteks, teikengebruiker, gebruikersituasie en funksie van die woordeboek moet die  leksikograaf deeglik besin oor die toepaslike lemmatiseringsbeleid. In hierdie artikel word verslag gedoen  van ʼn empiriese metode wat korpusondersoek kan komplementeer om ʼn optimaal funksionele lemmalys  vir die onderhawige tipe woordeboek saam te stel. Deur middel van die simulasie van die tipiese  gebruikersituasie van die beplande woordeboek word die naslaanpotensiaal van verskillende kategorieë  lemmakandidate kwantitatief vasgestel. Sodanige vasstelling lei tot die bepaling van die  lemmatiseringsprioriteit van elke kategorie lemmakandidate, wat uiteindelik funksionele lemmatisering  en suksesvolle woordeboekgebruik tot gevolg het. Sleutelwoorde: funksie, gebruikersituasie,  leksikografie, lemmakandidate, lemmatisering, naslaanpotensiaal, teikengebruiker, woordeboek.The consultation potential of lemma candidates for a monofunctional concise Dutch-Afrikaans dictionary The planning of a monofunctional, concise Dutch-Afrikaans dictionary in the printed medium places  well-known traditional limitations on the lexicographer, the most important being that of space. Given the context, target user, user situation and function of the dictionary, the lexicographer has to carefully   consider the applicable lemmatisation policy. This article reports on an empirical method that could complement corpus study in order to compile an optimally functional lemma list for the planned type of  dictionary. By means of a simulation of the typical user situation, the consultation potential of various types of lemma candidates are determined quantitatively. This determination results in the identification  of the lemmatisation priority of every category of lemma candidates, which in turn ultimately leads to functional lemmatisation and successful dictionary use.Keywords: consultation potential, dictionary, function, lemma candidate, lemmatisation, lexicography, target user, user situation

Interracial Adoption: In Whose Best Interest is it?

This study investigated the impact of interracial adoption on adjustment, self-esteem, and racial identity among Korean adoptees who were adopted into Euro-American families, as related by the adoptees. Twelve respondents between the ages of 18 and 22 answered survey questions relating to their self-concept, their involvement in cultural activities, problem areas as a result of their interracial adoption, adoptive parents\u27 characteristics and responsibilities, and the roles of social workers. Respondents indicated that their adoptive parents\u27 sensitivity as well as involvement and education in Korean culture was important and should be the focus of recruitment and training efforts by social workers

Investigations of solutions of Einstein's field equations close to lambda-Taub-NUT

We present investigations of a class of solutions of Einstein's field equations close to the family of lambda-Taub-NUT spacetimes. The studies are done using a numerical code introduced by the author elsewhere. One of the main technical complication is due to the S3-topology of the Cauchy surfaces. Complementing these numerical results with heuristic arguments, we are able to yield some first insights into the strong cosmic censorship issue and the conjectures by Belinskii, Khalatnikov, and Lifschitz in this class of spacetimes. In particular, the current investigations suggest that strong cosmic censorship holds in this class. We further identify open issues in our current approach and point to future research projects.Comment: 24 pages, 12 figures, uses psfrag and hyperref; replaced with published version, only minor corrections of typos and reference