Classification-based phrase structure grammar: an extended revised version of HPSG

This thesis is concerned with a presentation of Classification -based Phrase Structure Grammar (or cPSG), a grammatical theory that has grown out of extensive revisions of, and extensions to, HPSG. The fundamental difference between this theory and HPSG concerns the central role that classification plays in the grammar: the grammar classifies strings, according to their feature structure descriptions, as being of various types. Apart from the role of classification, the theory bears a close resemblance to HPSG, though it is by no means a direct translation, including numerous revisions and extensions. A central goal in the development of the theory has been its computational implementation, which is included in the thesis.The presentation may be divided into four parts. In the first, chapters 1 and 2, we present the grammatical formalism within which the theory is stated. This consists of a development of the notion of a classificatory system (chapter 1), and the incorporation of hierarchality into that notion (chapter 2).The second part concerns syntactic issues. Chapter 3 revises the HPSG treatment of specifiers, complements and adjuncts, incorporating ideas that specifiers and complements should be distinguished and presenting a treatment of adjuncts whereby the head is selected for by the adjunct. Chapter 4 presents several options for an account of unbounded dependencies. The accounts are based loosely on that of GPSG, and a reconstruction of GPSG's Foot Feature Principle is presented which does not involve a notion of default. Chapter 5 discusses coordination, employing an extension of Rounds- Kasper logic to allow a treatment of cross -categorial coordination.In the third part, chapters 6, 7 and 8, we turn to semantic issues. We begin (Chapter 6) with a discussion of Situation Theory, the background semantic theory, attempting to establish a precise and coherent version of the theory within which to work. Chapter 7 presents the bulk of the treatment of semantics, and can be seen as an extensive revision of the HPSG treatment of semantics. The aim is to provide a semantic treatment which is faithful to the version of Situation Theory presented in Chapter 6. Chapter 8 deals with quantification, discussing the nature of quantification in Situation Theory before presenting a treatment of quantification in CPSG. Some residual questions about the semantics of coordinated noun phrases are also addressed in this chapter.The final part, Chapter 9, concerns the actual computational implementation of the theory. A parsing algorithm based on hierarchical classification is presented, along with four strategies that might be adopted given that algorithm. Also discussed are some implementation details. A concluding chapter summarises the arguments of the thesis and outlines some avenues for future research

The prevalence of epilepsy in the Zay Society, Ethiopia—An area of high prevalence

SummaryVery high prevalence rates of epilepsy have been found in some developing countries. The Zay Society of Ethiopia was screened for epilepsy during a door-to-door survey and after neurological assessment, a prevalence of 29.5/1000 was found. Almost all the cases had primary generalised epilepsy in contrast to the predominance of partial epilepsy found elsewhere. Due to its historical isolation, epilepsy genes may have become widely disseminated throughout the Zay Society, accounting for the elevated prevalence

A Desktop Universe for the Introductory Astronomy Laboratory

What is a well-intentioned astronomy instructor to do? There is no argument that experience with the real world is desirable in any astronomy course, especially the introductory classes that fulfill the science distribution requirements at many colleges and universities. Though it is a simple matter to take students out of doors, show them the motions of the Sun, Moon, and stars, and have them squint for a few seconds at Saturn\u27s rings through a telescope, these activities represent only a small portion of the subject matter of modern astronomy. It is simply not possible, given the constraints of time, weather, and equipment at most schools, to have students determine the photometric distance of a star cluster, measure the dispersion distance of a pulsar, or confirm Hubble\u27s redshift-distance relation for themselves. [excerpt

Multispectral fingerprinting for improved in vivo cell dynamics analysis

Background: Tracing cell dynamics in the embryo becomes tremendously difficult when cell trajectories cross in space and time and tissue density obscure individual cell borders. Here, we used the chick neural crest (NC) as a model to test multicolor cell labeling and multispectral confocal imaging strategies to overcome these roadblocks. Results: We found that multicolor nuclear cell labeling and multispectral imaging led to improved resolution of in vivo NC cell identification by providing a unique spectral identity for each cell. NC cell spectral identity allowed for more accurate cell tracking and was consistent during short term time-lapse imaging sessions. Computer model simulations predicted significantly better object counting for increasing cell densities in 3-color compared to 1-color nuclear cell labeling. To better resolve cell contacts, we show that a combination of 2-color membrane and 1-color nuclear cell labeling dramatically improved the semi-automated analysis of NC cell interactions, yet preserved the ability to track cell movements. We also found channel versus lambda scanning of multicolor labeled embryos significantly reduced the time and effort of image acquisition and analysis of large 3D volume data sets. Conclusions: Our results reveal that multicolor cell labeling and multispectral imaging provide a cellular fingerprint that may uniquely determine a cell's position within the embryo. Together, these methods offer a spectral toolbox to resolve in vivo cell dynamics in unprecedented detail

Ventilation mode effect on thermal comfort in a mixed mode building

Between 2017 and 2018, we conducted a longitudinal field experiment in a mixed-mode ventilation building located in Wollongong Australia, with a particular focus on occupant thermal comfort and adaptive behaviour. This study investigated how different building operation modes i.e. air-conditioning (AC) and natural ventilation (NV), can have an impact on occupant perception of thermal comfort. Time-And-place matching of objective (physically measured indoor climate parameters, outdoor meteorological data, and building operational information) and subjective data (i.e. occupant survey questionnaires) enabled empirical investigation of the relationships between those parameters. The result of the analysis revealed that subjective perception of indoor thermal environment can be affected by different modes of building operation. Occupants were found to be more tolerant of, or adaptive to, the indoor thermal conditions when the building was in the NV mode of operation compared to the AC operational mode. The applicability of the adaptive comfort standard to the mixed-mode ventilation context was also discussed