On the development of relativization in the English language

The discussion is about relative clauses in Old English and the transition to the Middle English period. More specifically, it deals with the phenomenon of preposition stranding in one type of relative clauses but not in the two other types. An explanation is provided within the framework of generative grammar.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The motivational challenge facing beginner learners of Spanish at a distance

This paper presents some preliminary findings of an on-going longitudinal study of initial motivation and motivation maintenance in beginner distance adult learners of Spanish in the UK. Adapting a framework of executive motivational influences developed in the context of classroom teaching (Dörnyei, 2001a) to the distance learning process, data was obtained from questionnaires and follow-up interviews with a sample of questionnaire respondents. This paper explores meaningful descriptors of the most prevalent types of motivation found within this group. Drawing primarily on the interview data, it also presents early steps towards learner autonomy taken by these learners based on their own perceptions, and highlights the predominance of metacognitive over other strategies at this stage in their learning. Finally it analyses some of the motivational influences of tutors and of other learners, and their roles in supporting and affirming the learning endeavour, and indicates areas for follow-up research with beginner distance language learners within this study

Generalized Pure Lovelock Gravity

We present a generalization of the n-dimensional (pure) Lovelock Gravity theory based on an enlarged Lorentz symmetry. In particular, we propose an alternative way to introduce a cosmological term. Interestingly, we show that the usual pure Lovelock gravity is recovered in a matter-free configuration. The five and six-dimensional cases are explicitly studied.Comment: v2, 16 pages, references and comments adde

Evaluación del uso de techos verdes en la ciudad de Caracas - Venezuela.

Tesis (Ingeniero Constructor)RESUMEN: El problema energético y el deterioro ambiental a nivel mundial ha llevado al ser humano a desarrollar la arquitectura y la construcción mediante estrategias aplicadas a la mejora de proyectos que permitan aprovechar los recursos naturales sin perjudicar el ecosistema que los rodea. De esta manera pueden ofrecen mejoras al medioambiente a lo largo de su vida útil o funcionamiento. La solución constructiva de aplicar cubiertas verdes en las viviendas ofrece varios beneficios que aportan a resolver problemas ambientales los cuales afectan directamente al planeta, y son causados principalmente por la falta de vegetación en las áreas urbanas y por el continuo crecimiento acelerado de la población. En Venezuela, país al cual se pretende desarrollar este tema, se han realizado varias investigaciones para adaptar los principios internacionales de construcción sustentable al caso local, sin embargo, no se ha podido verificar el alcance positivo para el país, y hasta dónde son capaces los venezolanos de aplicar un tipo de construcción amigable con el medioambiente. Entre las alternativas constructivas que ayudan a preservar y mejorar el medioambiente, se elige la implementación de los techos verdes en viviendas de la ciudad de Caracas – Venezuela como objeto de estudio para el desarrollo de este trabajo de grado. Palabras claves: techos verdes, construcciones auto sostenibles, medio ambiente, isla de calor, ahorro de energía, ecosistemas.ABSTRACT: The energy problem and environmental degradation worldwide has led humans to develop the architecture and construction through strategies and the improvement of projects to exploit natural resources without harming the ecosystem that surrounds. This way they can offer improvements to the environment throughout its life or performance. The constructive solution to implement green roofs in homes offers several benefits they provide to solve environmental problems which directly affect the planet, and are mainly caused by the lack of vegetation in urban areas and the continued rapid population growth. In Venezuela, a country which aims to develop this theme, several investigations have been made to adapt international principles of sustainable construction to the local case, however, has not been able to verify the positive range for the country, and how far are capable Venezuelans to apply a kind of environmentally friendly construction. Among the constructive alternatives that help preserve and improve the environment, the implementation of green roofs on homes in the city of Caracas - Venezuela as an object of study for the development of this work is chosen. Keywords: green roofs, sustainable construction, environment, heat island, energy conservation, ecosystems

RGBDTAM: A Cost-Effective and Accurate RGB-D Tracking and Mapping System

Simultaneous Localization and Mapping using RGB-D cameras has been a fertile research topic in the latest decade, due to the suitability of such sensors for indoor robotics. In this paper we propose a direct RGB-D SLAM algorithm with state-of-the-art accuracy and robustness at a los cost. Our experiments in the RGB-D TUM dataset [34] effectively show a better accuracy and robustness in CPU real time than direct RGB-D SLAM systems that make use of the GPU. The key ingredients of our approach are mainly two. Firstly, the combination of a semi-dense photometric and dense geometric error for the pose tracking (see Figure 1), which we demonstrate to be the most accurate alternative. And secondly, a model of the multi-view constraints and their errors in the mapping and tracking threads, which adds extra information over other approaches. We release the open-source implementation of our approach 1 . The reader is referred to a video with our results 2 for a more illustrative visualization of its performance

On the processing of agreement morphology

The paper deals with the role played by morphology in core syntax within a generative minimalist framework: more specifically it deals with the theory of valuation of agreement or phi-features (that is, person and number features) and the valuation of tense or t-features (that is, features like [+/-present]), and there is a second part where I focus on the computation of both kinds of features according to the neuroimaging literature. The core idea that I aim to defend is that agreement features and tense features are each valued by a distinct head, namely 'v' and T. I argue that the number of steps in the 'real' processing or computation of agreement features and of tense feaures must be the same, irrespective of whether the morphological realization is 'zero' (as is frequently the case in a language like English) or not (as is typically the case in a Romance language like Spanish).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Euro Area SMEs under Financial Constraints: Belief or Reality?

During the recent financial crisis, euro area firms, and especially Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, have been reporting acute problems of access to external finance. Using firm-level replies to the SME survey on access to finance, we use two indicators of financing constraints based on perceptions on the one side and on experienced financing constraints on the other and run probit and multinomial regressions model to determine which firms’, sectoral or national characteristics drove perceptions and experienced financial constraints during the recent financial turmoil. We find that perceptions of financing crunch was broadly based across firms but those firms who really experienced a credit crunch tended to be small and young, confirming the fact that SMEs tend to suffer more when credit standards are tightened.financial crisis, financing constraints, credit rationing, small and medium-sized enterprises, survey data

On the supersymmetry invariance of flat supergravity with boundary

The supersymmetry invariance of flat supergravity (i.e., supergravity in the absence of any internal scale in the Lagrangian) in four dimensions on a manifold with non-trivial boundary is explored. Using a geometric approach we find that the supersymmetry invariance of the Lagrangian requires to add appropriate boundary terms. This is achieved by considering additional gauge fields to the boundary without modifying the bulk Lagrangian. We also construct an enlarged supergravity model from which, in the vanishing cosmological constant limit, flat supergravity with a non-trivial boundary emerges properly.Comment: V2, 26 pages, discussions, motivation and references adde