The algebra of lexical semantics

Abstract. The current generative theory of the lexicon relies primar-ily on tools from formal language theory and mathematical logic. Here we describe how a different formal apparatus, taken from algebra and automata theory, resolves many of the known problems with the gener-ative lexicon. We develop a finite state theory of word meaning based on machines in the sense of Eilenberg [11], a formalism capable of de-scribing discrepancies between syntactic type (lexical category) and se-mantic type (number of arguments). This mechanism is compared both to the standard linguistic approaches and to the formalisms developed in AI/KR. 1 Problem Statement In developing a formal theory of lexicography our starting point will be the informal practice of lexicography, rather than the more immediately related for-mal theories of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Knowledge Representation (KR). Lexicography is a relatively mature field, with centuries of work experience an

Electron Microprobe Analyses of Lithic Fragments and Their Minerals from Luna 20 Fines

The bulk analyses (determined with the broad beam electron microprobe technique) of lithic fragments are given in weight percentages and are arranged according to the rock classification. Within each rock group the analyses are arranged in order of increasing FeO content. Thin section and lithic fragment numbers are given at the top of each column of analysis and correspond to the numbers recorded on photo mosaics on file in the Institute of Meteoritics. CIPW molecular norms are given for each analysis. Electron microprobe mineral analyses (given in oxide weight percentages), structural formulae and molecular end member values are presented for plagioclase, olivine, pyroxene and K-feldspar. The minerals are selected mostly from lithic fragments that were also analyzed for bulk composition. Within each mineral group the analyses are presented according to the section number and lithic fragment number. Within each lithic fragment the mineral analyses are arranged as follows: Plagioclase in order of increasing CaO; olivine and pyroexene in order of increasing FeO; and K-feldspar in order of increasing K2O. The mineral grains are identified at the top of each column of analysis by grain number and lithic fragment number

An outline of an asymmetric two-component theory of aspect

The paper presents the bases of an asymmetric two-component model of aspect. The main theoretical conclusion of the study is that (grammatical) viewpoint aspect and situation aspect are not independent aspectual levels, since the former often modifies the input situation aspect of the phrase/sentence. As it is shown, besides the arguments and adjuncts of the predicate, viewpoint aspect is also an important factor in compositionally marking situation aspect. The aspectual framework put forward in the paper is verified and illustrated on the basis of the aspectual system of Hungarian and some examples taken from English linguistic data

A cross dialectal view of the Arabic dative alternation

This paper is concerned with the syntax of ditransitive verbs in Arabic.We concentrate on the vernaculars, focussing in particular on three geographically spread dialects: Egyptian Cairene Arabic, the dominant vernacular in Egypt, Hijazi Arabic, spoken in Western Saudi Arabia and Maltese, a mixed language with a Magrebi/Siculo-Arabic stratum. We show that all three exhibit an alternation (the dative alternation) between a ditransitive ('double object') construction and a corresponding prepositional dative construction, and outline a number of differences between these constructions in the different varieties of Arabic. We consider the distribution of verbs exhibiting the dative alternation in the light of Ryding's (2011) observations concerning Modern Standard Arabic

Semi-automatic conversion of BioProp semantic annotation to PASBio annotation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Semantic role labeling (SRL) is an important text analysis technique. In SRL, sentences are represented by one or more predicate-argument structures (PAS). Each PAS is composed of a predicate (verb) and several arguments (noun phrases, adverbial phrases, etc.) with different semantic roles, including main arguments (agent or patient) as well as adjunct arguments (time, manner, or location). PropBank is the most widely used PAS corpus and annotation format in the newswire domain. In the biomedical field, however, more detailed and restrictive PAS annotation formats such as PASBio are popular. Unfortunately, due to the lack of an annotated PASBio corpus, no publicly available machine-learning (ML) based SRL systems based on PASBio have been developed. In previous work, we constructed a biomedical corpus based on the PropBank standard called BioProp, on which we developed an ML-based SRL system, BIOSMILE. In this paper, we aim to build a system to convert BIOSMILE's BioProp annotation output to PASBio annotation. Our system consists of BIOSMILE in combination with a BioProp-PASBio rule-based converter, and an additional semi-automatic rule generator.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our first experiment evaluated our rule-based converter's performance independently from BIOSMILE performance. The converter achieved an F-score of 85.29%. The second experiment evaluated combined system (BIOSMILE + rule-based converter). The system achieved an F-score of 69.08% for PASBio's 29 verbs.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Our approach allows PAS conversion between BioProp and PASBio annotation using BIOSMILE alongside our newly developed semi-automatic rule generator and rule-based converter. Our system can match the performance of other state-of-the-art domain-specific ML-based SRL systems and can be easily customized for PASBio application development.</p

Logistic support provided to Australian disaster medical assistance teams: results of a national survey of team members

Background: It is likely that calls for disaster medical assistance teams (DMATs) continue in response to international disasters. As part of a national survey, the present study was designed to evaluate the Australian DMAT experience and the need for logistic support.\ud \ud Methods: Data were collected via an anonymous mailed survey distributed via State and Territory representatives on the Australian Health Protection Committee, who identified team members associated with Australian DMAT deployments from the 2004 Asian Tsunami disaster.\ud \ud Results: The response rate for this survey was 50% (59/118). Most of the personnel had deployed to the South East Asian Tsunami affected areas. The DMAT members had significant clinical and international experience. There was unanimous support for dedicated logistic support with 80% (47/59) strongly agreeing. Only one respondent (2%) disagreed with teams being self sufficient for a minimum of 72 hours. Most felt that transport around the site was not a problem (59%; 35/59), however, 34% (20/59) felt that transport to the site itself was problematic. Only 37% (22/59) felt that pre-deployment information was accurate. Communication with local health providers and other agencies was felt to be adequate by 53% (31/59) and 47% (28/59) respectively, while only 28% (17/59) felt that documentation methods were easy to use and reliable. Less than half (47%; 28/59) felt that equipment could be moved easily between areas by team members and 37% (22/59) that packaging enabled materials to be found easily. The maximum safe container weight was felt to be between 20 and 40 kg by 58% (34/59).\ud \ud Conclusions: This study emphasises the importance of dedicated logistic support for DMAT and the need for teams to be self sufficient for a minimum period of 72 hours. There is a need for accurate pre deployment information to guide resource prioritisation with clearly labelled pre packaging to assist access on site. Container weights should be restricted to between 20 and 40 kg, which would assist transport around the site, while transport to the site was seen as problematic. There was also support for training of all team members in use of basic equipment such as communications equipment, tents and shelters and water purification systems

Morphological predictors of BRCA1 germline mutations in young women with breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Knowing a young woman with newly diagnosed breast cancer has a germline BRCA1 mutation informs her clinical management and that of her relatives. We sought an optimal strategy for identifying carriers using family history, breast cancer morphology and hormone receptor status data.METHODS: We studied a population-based sample of 452 Australian women with invasive breast cancer diagnosed before age 40 years for whom we conducted extensive germline mutation testing (29 carried a BRCA1 mutation) and a systematic pathology review, and collected three-generational family history and tumour ER and PR status. Predictors of mutation status were identified using multiple logistic regression. Areas under receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were estimated using five-fold stratified cross-validation.RESULTS: The probability of being a BRCA1 mutation carrier increased with number of selected histology features even after adjusting for family history and ER and PR status (Po0.0001). From the most parsimonious multivariate model, the odds ratio for being a carrier were: 9.7 (95% confidence interval: 2.6-47.0) for trabecular growth pattern (P=0.001); 7.8 (2.7-25.7) for mitotic index over 50 mitoses per 10 high-powered field (P 0.0003); and 2.7 (1.3-5.9) for each first-degree relative with breast cancer diagnosed before age 60 years (P 0.01). The area under the ROC curve was 0.87 (0.83-0.90).CONCLUSION: Pathology review, with attention to a few specific morphological features of invasive breast cancers, can identify almost all BRCA1 germline mutation carriers among women with early-onset breast cancer without taking into account family history. British Journal of Cancer (2011) 104, 903-909. doi: 10.1038/ bjc. 2011.41 www. bjcancer. co

Contact metamorphism associated to the Penamacor - Monsanto granitic intrusion (Central Portugal): geochemical, isotopic and mineralogical features

Contact metamorphism related to Variscan and late-Variscan granitic plutons in the Iberian Peninsula is superimposed on medium-grade regional metamorphism, making it often difficult to evaluate per se the thermal effects due to those intrusions and explaining the paucity of scientific literature on the subject. An exhaustive set of geochemical, isotopic and mineralogical data on the contact-zone metasediments hosting the Penamacor-Monsanto granite (Central Iberian Zone, Portugal) provides a significant contribution to the characterization of low- to intermediate-grade contact metamorphism in geological contexts formerly affected by regional metamorphism. The metasediments hosting the Penamacor-Monsanto pluton belong to the extensive detrital sequence of the ante-Ordovician Schist-Greywacke Complex. Bulk geochemistry, oxygen isotope data and crystal-chemistry of key minerals from those contact-zone and neighbouring metasediments have made it possible to infer metamorphic conditions on the contact zone of this granitic intrusion, and to distinguish them from late boron-metasomatism at the exocontact. Mineral paragenesis (muscovite + biotite + chlorite quartz plagioclase cordierite, in spotted-schists; biotite + chlorite quartz plagioclase ( cordierite), in hornfelses) and the composition of these coexisting mineral phases indicate that most of the contact rocks reached the biotite zone (or even the cordierite zone, in some cases), equivalent to upper greenschist – lower amphibolite metamorphic grade. The relatively narrow range of O-isotope temperatures estimated for the crystallization of the marginal granites (550-625ºC) explains the absence of significant effects of thermal flow anisotropy on the contact-zone rocks. Besides, textural, paragenetic, mineralogical, isotopic and geochemical nuances observed in hornfelses and spotted-schists seem mainly related to the local host-rock heterogeneities, rather than to thermal effects. The relatively low temperatures estimated for granitoid emplacement and their restricted isotopic and mineralogical impacts on the metasedimentary host-rocks account for the narrow metamorphic aureole associated with the Penamacor-Monsanto pluton, and suggest this massif may correspond to the outcropping tip of a larger granitic intrusion at depth.Las intrusions graníticas Varíscicas y tardivaríscicas de la Península Ibérica dieron lugar a un metamorfsmo de contacto que afecta a un encajante previamente sometido a un metamorfsmo regional de grado medio, lo que difculta separar los efectos térmicos de aquellos regionales, y explica la escasez de estudios sobre el mismo. El estudio detallado de la zona de contacto entre el Granito de Penamacor-Monsanto (Zona Centro-Ibérica; Portugal) y su encajante metasedimentario mediante técnicas geoquímicas, mineralógicas e isotópicas supone una notable contribución al conocimiento y caracterización del metamorfsmo de contacto de grados bajos a intermedios en contextos geológicos previamente afectados por metamorfsmo regional. El encajante metasedimentario del Plutón de Penamacor-Monsanto es parte de la amplia secuencia detrítica ante-Ordovícia conocida como Complejo Esquisto-Grawackico. Datos geoquímicos de roca total y cristaloquímicos de los minerales más característicos, y relaciones isotópicas de oxígeno en la zona de contacto y metasedimentos aledaños permiten inferir las condiciones metamórfcas en la zona de contacto de dicha intrusión, y diferenciarla de aquella afectada por metasomatismo tardío por B. La paragénesis mineral (muscovita + biotita + clorita ± cuarzo ± plagioclasa ± cordierita en los esquistos moteados; biotita + clorita ± cuarzo ± plagiclasa (± cordierita) en corneanas) y la composición de las fases minerales coexistentes indican que la mayoría de rocas del contacto alcanzaron la zona de la biotita (e incluso, en algunos casos, aquella de la cordierita), equivalente a la parte alta del grado metamórfco de los esquistos verdes, o a la parte baja de las anfbolitas. El rango relativamente pequeño de temperaturas de cristalización de los granitos marginales (550-625°C), calculado mediante isótopos de oxígeno, explica la carencia de anisotropías térmicas signifcativas en las rocas del contacto. Las sutiles diferencias texturales, paragenéticas, mineralógicas, isotópicas y geoquímicas en esquistos moteados y corneanas parecen relacionadas con heterogeneidades locales de los encajantes, y no con efectos térmicos diferenciados. Las temperaturas relativamente bajas estimadas durante la intrusión del granito de Penamacor-Monsanto, y el limitado efecto mineralógico e isotópico sobre el encajante metasedimentario, dan lugar a una aureola de contacto estrecha, y sugieren que este macizo puede corresponder al techo de una intrusión mayor en profundidad.Funding was provided by FCT—Fundação para a Ciên cia e Tecnologia, through project METMOB (PTDC/CTE-GIX/116204/2009