K-Theoretic Duality for Hyperbolic Dynamical Systems

The K-theoretic analog of Spanier-Whitehead duality for noncommutative C*-algebras is shown to hold for the Ruelle algebras associated to irreducible Smale spaces. This had previously been proved only for shifts of finite type. Implications of this result as well as relations to the Baum-Connes conjecture and other topics are also considered.Comment: 36 page

The Hill Fire and Other Stories

The Hill Fire is a collection of standalone and loosely-connected short stories on a variety of themes. Absurdist situations and ridiculous characters work to create a reality similar but distinctly not our own

Montrul, Silvina: The acquisition of heritage languages

The last two decades have witnessed a dramatic increase in the interest in heritage language acquisition, maintenance, and attrition by both scholar and layman alike. The formal study of heritage languages and the status of their grammars have in many ways served as an important missing, complementary subfield of inquiry in our quest to better understand bi- and multilingual grammars in the mind and society. To date, what this nascent field has been sorely lacking is a volume – or a canonical set of works – that functions as a solid reference upon which future research can be built. In this work Silvina Montrul takes on the unenviable task of presenting this type of reference work for both specialist and neophyte to this ever-growing field of study. In my estimation, this book is an invaluable resource for a wide audience, although it is probably most useful for scholars new to the field

John J. McCarthy and Joe Pater (eds.): Harmonic grammar and harmonic serialism.

This volume contains chapters that explore and extend advances in formal investigations of grammar that employ violable constraints in the analysis of individual languages, the study of linguistic typology, and the learnability of grammars. Initial investigations in a generative framework that employs violable constraints took place in Optimality Theory (OT) (Prince & Smolensky, 1993/2004). It is worth noting that although “representational constraints had of course long existed as a means of formally expressing restrictions on linguistic structures, […] the notion that one constraint could compel the violation of another had never been given much attention before OT” (p. vii). The violable constraints in OT are strictly ranked with respect to one another, preventing the possibility of multiple violations of lower-ranked constraints accumulating and ‘ganging up’ on higher ranked ones. Harmonic Grammar (HG) is an alternative version of a grammar model that employs violable, ranked constraints (as is commonplace in OT) which uses weighted constraints in place of strictly ranked ones. Pater (this volume) highlights two potential advantages that an HG may have over an OT-model: Firstly, as initially noted by Prince (2003), there are asymmetric trade-offs on gang effects (based on the fact that the weighted constraint violations in HG can lead to gang effects of lower weighted constraints under certain circumstances), which are simply not possible in OT. Secondly, “the promise of weighted constraint theories of Universal Grammar derives from the ability of HG to generate attested patterns that fall out of the reach of OT using the same sets of constraints” (p. 2). Here Pater points to previous research (in particular, Flemming, 2001) that shows the difficulty that OT has in establishing compatibility with scalar constraints. This potential issue purportedly receives a more straightforward account in HG. The inclusion of weighted constraints permits new theories concerning which constraints (Con) exist. Initially, analyses in OT assumed a parallel theory of candidate generation and evaluation. There is no reason, however, that single iterative applications of the generation (Gen) and evaluation (Eval) of candidates cannot replace parallel evaluations. Harmonic Serialism (HS), see McCarthy (this volume) for a detailed introduction, combines the inclusion of weighted violable constraints in serial evaluation of candidates. The contributions in this volume consist of studies that show the advantages and challenges associated with current research within the HG and HS models

Spatial Mapping of Macular Pigment Optical Density and Its Relationship to Contrast Sensitivity and Glare Disability

This dissertation explored the relationship of the macular pigment optical density (MPOD) spatial profile with measures of contrast sensitivity (CS), glare disability (GD), relative glare disability (RGD) and intraocular light scatter. A novel device capable of measuring MPOD across the central 16 degrees of retina along 8 principle meridians using customized heterochromatic flicker photometry (cHFP) at eccentricities of 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 degrees was built. MPOD was calculated as both discrete and integrated values at all measured retinal loci. CS was measured using vertical grating stimuli of 3, 6 and 9 cycles per degree (cpd) also presented at 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 degrees eccentricity. GD was calculated as a difference in CS between glare and no glare conditions (CSNo Glare – CSGlare) using the same vertical grating stimuli presented at the same eccentricities. RGD [(CSNo Glare – CSGlare) / CSNo Glare] was calculated to isolate the glare attenuation effects of MPOD by controlling for CS variability among the subject sample. Intraocular scatter was assessed through a direct compensation method using a commercially available device. Statistical analyses of the discrete and integrated MPOD associations with CS, GD, RGD and intraocular scatter were evaluated. The cHFP identified reliable MPOD spatial distribution maps demonstrating a 1st order exponential decay curve as a function of increasing eccentricity. Foveal MPOD revealed the highest correlation coefficients with RGD using 9cpd stimuli. These results are consistent with the glare attenuation effects of MP at higher spatial frequencies. Further support may be seen from the significant correlations found between corresponding parafoveal MPOD measures and both GD and RGD at 2 and 4 degrees of eccentricity using 9cpd stimuli with greater MPOD being associated with less glare disability. All calculated measures of foveal MPOD shared similar significant correlation coefficients with both GD and RGD using 6cpd and 9cpd stimuli. Discrete and integrated measures of MPOD were similar in regards to their association with glare attenuation effects across the macula. Quartile analysis of the highest and lowest foveal MPOD values demonstrated significant differences in intraocular scatter which indicate MPOD may minimize scattered intraocular short-wavelength light

The Hill Fire and Other Stories

The following stories contained here are the culmination of two year\u27s work in the realm of the short story. In that time, I have further honed my writing voice and shaped these works in a way where they work in conjunction with each other as well as on their own. An over-arching theme I have in the work is a character (in these instances, specifically a man) who is unsatisfied with his current position in life but unwilling to put forth much effort to make a significant change. In some instances, that change is then forced upon the character by another source. The procedure behind writing these stories was one of trial and error. I have grown substantially as a writer in these two years, and to get these stories where they are now was a matter of trying something and then adjusting the work accordingly based on the feedback of that attempt. These stories, at least to me, feel cohesive enough to be included together in a collection, should that opportunity present itsel

Progovac, Liliana: Evolutionary syntax.

In this monograph, Liliana Progovac (LP) challenges this mainstream assumption in presenting her case for a gradualist, adaptationist approach to the evolution of syntax

Toivonen, I., P. Csúri & E. van der Zee: Structures in the mind: Essay on language, music, and cognition in honor of Ray Jackendoff

It is an insurmountable task to pay homage to the impact that Ray Jackendoff has had on the fields of cognitive science and linguistics more generally. The numerous publications and prestigious accolades alone (such as being the recipient of the Rumelhart Prize in Cognitive Science in 2014) signal his unique place in the field. Ida Toivonen, Piroska Csúri, and Emile van der Zee (TCV) have compiled an edited volume that contains essays from the various academic domains that Ray Jackendoff has contributed to over the course of his career. The introduction contains laudatory remarks from renowned scholars such as Paul Bloom, Noam Chomsky, Barbara Partee, and Steven Pinker, which together provide an impressive reflection on Jackendoff’s impact on these related disciplines

Equity in Mississippi: a Study of Public School Funding

This quantitative study analyzes the level of equity of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program funding formula through an analysis of the base per-pupil per district allocation system. This study researches the levels of horizontal equity, vertical equity, and fiscal neutrality in relation to the equity designed in the original 1993 proposal. The relationship between the current levels of equity found in the Mississippi Adequate Education Program and the proposed levels of equity holds significant interest for the Mississippi state legislature and educational leaders throughout the state of Mississippi. The funding formulas for Fiscal Year 2004 and Fiscal Year 2010 are shown in relation to each other as well as in relation to the original 1993 design. The state per-pupil per district allocation before and after categorical add-ons is used to examine the equity found in the formula. Fiscal Year 2004 was the earliest funding allocation this researcher found as a complete dataset in contrast to Fiscal Year 2010 which represents the most current allocation to be funded to school districts during the course of this study. All 152 school district allocations are included in both fiscal year datasets. Both allocations are shown in relation to the original 1993 proposed design in terms of horizontal and vertical equity through range, restricted range, and federal range ratio. The horizontal coefficient of variation is also delineated in contrast to the original 1993 design. Fiscal neutrality is related through the use of a Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and a Coefficient of Determination at the 0.01level (two tailed) of significance. The research findings reflects the Mississippi Adequate Education Program funding formula has gains in horizontal equity, a weakening vertical equity component, and is moderately positive in fiscal neutrality

Parasitic semantics (or why Swedish can’t lexicalize middle voice constructions)

In this squib we explore a strictly derivational explanation for the differences in possible middle voice constructions in Norwegian and Swedish. Whereas Norwegian allows by its lexical s-passive construction as well as a complex adjectival construction to stand in for middle semantics, only the latter option is available in Swedish. We argue that this contrast lies in the lexicalization of formal syntactico-semantic features and advance the claim that the failure to lexicalize all features in a derivational results in structures uninterpretable to the external interfaces (i.e., Exhaustive Lexicalization)