A limitação de dispersão de sementes tem sido empiricamente investigada como um mecanismo equalizador das diferenças competitivas entre espécies que coexistem em comunidades vegetais. Além da limitação espacial, as variações temporais da dispersão também podem ser importantes para a coexistência das espécies. O objetivo do estudo foi verificar a relação entre limitação de dispersão espacial (LDe) e limitação de dispersão temporal (LDt) e as características das espécies que influenciam as duas limitações. Em uma floresta da planície costeira, a chuva de sementes foi amostrada, ao longo de 36 meses, em 40 coletores (20m2) distantes 100m entre si e da borda do fragmento. A abordagem de seleção de modelos mistos foi utilizada para testar a relação entre a limitação de dispersão e a massa média das sementes, a síndrome de dispersão, a altura máxima local e a frequência de distribuição dos indivíduos adultos. Os resultados encontrados mostram que as proporções de espécies analisadas limitadas espacial (90,3%) e temporalmente (70,9%) foram altas e a correlação entre LDe e LDT também foi alta (Spearman = 0,8). Tanto para LDe como LDt, foram selecionados a massa média das sementes, a altura máxima e a frequência de distribuição de adultos. Em geral, as relações encontradas indicam que espécies com sementes maiores, com menor altura máxima e menor frequência de distribuição dos indivíduos adultos são mais limitadas espacial e temporalmente. Apesar desses fatores terem sido selecionados, houve uma grande variação nos efeitos para as espécies analisadas. O estudo reforça o fato do mecanismo de limitação de dispersão espacial ser frequentemente encontrado em comunidades arbóreas e apresenta uma abordagem temporal para o estudo da limitação de dispersão. A redução das interações competitivas interespecíficas, decorrente das altas limitações de dispersão observadas no estudo, se contrapõe às teorias amplamente aceitas (Janzen-Connell) que indicam os mecanismos de dispersão eficientes de sementes como uma forma de minimizar a competição intraespecífica. A importância relativa dos mecanismos de dispersão e de limitação de dispersão para a manutenção da diversidade em comunidades deveria ser estudada para avaliar em quais situações ou para quais conjuntos de espécies a coexistência é mediada pela ausência das interações intraespecíficas ou interespecíficas / The seed limitation has been empirically investigated as an equalizing mechanism of the competitive differences between species that coexists in plant communities. In addition to the spatial limitation, the temporal variations of seed dispersal can also be important to the species coexistence. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation between spatial seed limitation and temporal seed limitation and the species characteristics that influence both limitations. In a coastal plain forest, the seed rain was sampled over 36 months in 40 traps (20 m2), 100 m distant from each other and from the forest edges. The generalized mixed-effect models approach was used to test the relation between seed limitation and the average mass of the seeds, the dispersal syndrome, the trees local maximum height, and the adult trees distribution frequencies. The results show that the proportion of the analysed species spatial limited (90,3%) e temporal limited (70,9%) were high and the correlation between spatial seed limitation and temporal seed limitation were also high (Spearman = 0,8). To explain spatial seed limitation and temporal seed limitation were selected the average mass of seeds, the trees local maximum height and the adult trees distribution frequencies. Usually those relations indicate that species with lagger seeds, lowest maximum tree height and lowest adult trees distribution frequencies are more limited spatially and temporally. Although these factors have been selected, there was a great variation in the effects of the species analysed. The study supports the fact that the spatial seed limitation mechanism is frequently found in tree communities and shows a temporal approach to the seed limitation study. The reduction of interspecific competitive interactions, due to the high seed limitation observed in the study, is opposed to widely accepted theories (Janzen-Connell) that indicates that the efficient seed dispersal mechanism are a strategy to minimize the intraspecific competion. The relative importance of dispersal mechanisms and seed limitation on maintaning diversity in trees communities should be studied to evaluate which situations or which species sets the coexistence is mediated by the absence of intraspecific or interspecifir interactions

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-01-11T15:47:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo Silva Coutinho.pdf: 3150287 bytes, checksum: df7088d8dfcea98a47c6189564521b2e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-01-11T15:47:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Ricardo Silva Coutinho.pdf: 3150287 bytes, checksum: df7088d8dfcea98a47c6189564521b2e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-12-12 / This research is committed to a reflection on the performance of the Environmental State in view of the Structuring Theory of Law (Friedrich Müller), by observing the construction of protection norms for sustainable cities with a method that analyzes the structure of state decisions. Engaged in formulating integration criteria for empirical data in decision-making processes, such methodology enables practical implementation of norms and protective measures for urban spaces by developing solutions with higher standards of reasoning and justification, and establishing a better control of the contents and limits of environmental protection. From this viewpoint, sustainable cities are conceived as a domain that provides for economic, political and social development without compromising natural resources – one that creates ways to ensure environmental balance and access to fundamental rights, including cultural and natural assets, in order to guarantee quality of life for its inhabitants. This research has two parts. In the first one, we show the constitutional foundations of the Environmental State in Brazil, i.e., the constitutional basis of a form of state that tends to prioritize the protection of the environment as an overarching goal in all of its decision-making processes. In the second part, we advance the construction of the contents and limits of the protection of cities, by employing a methodology that rationalizes the construction of norms of environmental protection with the notions of "norm program" and "norm scope", and by identifying endogenous and exogenous aspects regarding the legal system – all with the aim of improving the practical implementation of the law in the protection of the urban environment by the Environmental State. These measures therefore contribute to greater correctness and effectiveness of state actions, in view of the constitutional objective of creating more sustainable cities / A presente pesquisa se comprometeu com uma reflexão sobre a atuação do Estado Ambiental na perspectiva da Teoria Estruturante do Direito (Friedrich Müller), verificando a construção da norma de defesa das cidades sustentáveis com o suporte de um método que analisa a estrutura das decisões estatais. Empenhada na formulação de critérios de integração dos dados da realidade em processos decisórios, essa metodologia permite a concretização prática da norma e da atuação de proteção dos espaços urbanos mediante a elaboração de soluções com maior volume de argumentação e justificação, estabelecendo um controle mais adequado dos conteúdos e limites da defesa ambiental. Esse ponto de vista aborda as cidades sustentáveis como o domínio que proporciona o desenvolvimento econômico, político e social sem comprometimento demasiado dos recursos naturais, criando meios de garantir o equilíbrio ambiental e o acesso a direitos fundamentais, incluídos os bens culturais e naturais, visando à sadia qualidade de vida dos seus habitantes. Diante disso, esta investigação pode ser dividida em dois momentos. Inicialmente, demonstra que existem no Brasil os pilares constitucionais para a identificação de um Estado Ambiental como uma forma de Estado que tende a priorizar a defesa do meio ambiente no reconhecimento de critérios e metas que pautam os processos decisórios estatais. Em seguida, propõe a construção de conteúdos e limites das decisões de defesa das cidades por intermédio de uma metodologia que racionaliza a construção da norma de preservação ambiental a partir das noções de “programa da norma” e “âmbito da norma”, identificando aspectos endógenos e exógenos ao sistema do Direito, com o escopo de aprimorar a concretização prática da norma e da atividade de tutela do meio urbano pelo Estado Ambiental. Portanto, essas providências contribuem para o incremento das possibilidades de correção e eficácia na atividade estatal, no panorama dos objetivos constitucionais de busca por cidades com mais sustentabilidade

A indústria automotiva vem mudando seu perfil drasticamente na última década, tornando-se mais intensiva em sistemas computacionais, e consequentemente em software, do que em sistemas mecânicos. A maioria das funcionalidades dos veículos modernos é controlada por software distribuído, dentro de muitas Unidades de Controle Eletrônicas (ECUs) interconectadas, de modo que o veículo pode ser considerado como um conjunto de sistemas complexos. Como resultado da integração, os testes para as funções de software distribuído se tornaram um grande desafio. Muitas estratégias têm sido propostas para organizar o multinível de teste de software em sistemas embarcados automotivos, a fim de reduzir custos e melhorar sua eficácia e robustez. Esta investigação pretende estender este conceito de teste de software multinível baseado no modelo em V, projetando uma metodologia sistemática que mapeie cada função dentro do sistema embarcado do veículo, sem a existência de uma especificação detalhada de cada componente e possibilitando a definição de uma estratégia e um planejamento de teste de software antecipadamente. Esta metodologia foi totalmente desenvolvida incorporando as características da aplicação automotiva, incluindo os requisitos de segurança funcional ISO 26262. Desta forma e dentro de rigorosas condições de segurança, a nova metodologia melhora a eficiência dos processos de desenvolvimento de sistemas embarcados, possibilitando a antecipação do planejamento de teste de software. Sendo este, baseado em um mapeamento e codificação da função e das atividades de teste proposto nesta tese, que funciona também como base para futuros desenvolvimento de soluções de rastreabilidade do sistema embarcado. / The automotive industry has been changing its profile drastically in the last decade, becoming more intensive in computer systems, and consequently in software, than in mechanical systems. Most of the functionality of modern vehicles is controlled by distributed software, within many interconnected Electronic Control Units (ECUs), so that the vehicle can be considered as a set of complex systems. As a result of integration, testing for distributed software functions has become a major challenge. Many strategies have been proposed to organize the multilevel software testing in embedded automotive systems in order to reduce costs and improve their effectiveness and robustness. This research intends to extend this concept of multilevel software testing based on the V development model, designing a systematic methodology that maps each function within the embedded system of the vehicle, without the existence of a detailed specification of each component, allowing the definition of a strategy and software testing planning in advance. This methodology was fully developed incorporating the characteristics of the automotive application, including the ISO 26262 functional safety requirements. In this way, the new methodology improves the efficiency of the embedded systems development processes, within strict security conditions, allowing the anticipation of the planning based on a mapping and encoding of the function and test activities proposed in this thesis, which also serves as a basis for future development of embedded system traceability solutions.

This study presents an analysis of policies addressing child mortality in Pakistan focusing on problem structuring, using a comparison with Bangladesh. Pakistan's progress in addressing child mortality rate has been much slower than that of Bangladesh despite the fact that Pakistan has excelled in economic growth, and the two countries have comparable populations and share political history. This study analyzes and provides an explanation for differential outcomes in terms of problem structuring in the two countries. A comparative analysis of policy documents reviewed for the two countries illustrates the fact that Bangladesh, in formulating its child health policy, has emphasized the input factors such as nutrition and environmental aspects, besides health services. Pakistan, on the other hand, maintains a general problem formulation strategy focusing mainly on health service and ignoring the social, environmental, and other factors causing morbidity and mortality in children. Another comparison between policy formulation in each country and the extensive literature available on child mortality suggest that neither country pays as much attention to structural factors as the literature does. The analysis provides some insight into differentials in policy formulation associated with child mortality in the two countries, but more importantly, it provides an understanding of the underlying elements for inadequate policy outcomes in case of Pakistan.

Ice structuring proteins (ISPs) naturally exist in many foods consumed as part of the human diet including plants or fish. ISPs from winter wheat grass have gained interest in the pharmaceutical and food industries as a non-toxic, natural and cost-effective product, which is easy to prepare as a crude extract. However, they have not been purified reproducibly and studied in detail to elucidate their structures, mechanism of actions and difference(s). ISPs from the apoplast region of cold acclimated winter wheat leaves were extracted through vacuum infiltration and purified using heat and ethanol precipitations, size exclusion and anionic exchange fast protein liquid chromatography techniques. The ISPs showed both significant inhibition of ice growth and thermal hysteresis activities. The non-acclimated apoplastic extracts from winter wheat leaves contained similar proteins without any abovementioned activities. The ISPs contained disulfide bridges, similar to thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) and partially similar to ISPs from winter rye leaves and carrot. ISPs remained active after thermal treatment (i.e., pasteurization conditions) and over a wide range of pH (3-12). There are very few quantitative assays to measure the activity of antifreeze proteins (AFPs, or Ice Structuring Proteins, ISPs), which often suffer from various inaccuracies and inconsistencies. Some methods rely only on unassisted visual assessment. When microscopy is used to measure ice crystal size, it is critical that standardized procedures be adopted, especially when image analysis software is used to quantify sizes. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) has been used to measure the thermal hysteresis activity (TH) of AFPs. In this study, DSC was used isothermally to measure enthalpic changes associated with structural rearrangements as a function of time. Differences in slopes of thermograms between winter wheat ISP or AFP type I containing samples, and those without ISP or AFP type I were demonstrated. ISP or AFP type I containing samples had much higher slopes compared to those without ISP or AFP type I. Samples with higher concentration of ISP or AFP type I showed higher slope values. The proteinaceous activity of ISPs or AFP type I was confirmed by demonstrating changes in samples with and without proteases. A proposed mechanism of this method is discussed.

Orientador: Marcelo Carbone Carneiro / Banca: Fernanda Aparecida Meglhioratti / Banca: Jehud Bortolozzi / Banca: Marcos Rodrigues da Silva / Banca: Osmar Cavassan / Resumo: A tese foi desenvolvida buscando identificar os elementos necessários para uma compreensão da visão biológica sobre a natureza, numa perspectiva histórica e filosófica. Foi realizado um estudo teórico fundamentado no pensamento materialista dialético, visando identificar as principais questões que sustentam a biologia, considerando a sua história de construção e o olhar da filosofia da ciência sobre ela. Fez-se um levantamento documental principalmente nas fontes secundárias sobre a história e filosofia da biologia, também em algumas fontes primárias. Tendo realizada esta etapa, fez-se uma análise do conteúdo disciplinar dos Parâmetros Curriculares Nacionais do Ensino Médio (PCNEM), PCNEM+ e as Orientações Curriculares. O estudo foi direcionado por três questões: Quais são os elementos que caracterizam a biologia como tal ao longo da sua construção? Como estes elementos se caracterizam e se articulam? Os documentos curriculares oficiais consideram estes elementos na sua formulação? Como resultado, é trazida a história das ideias sobre os seres vivos na Antiguidade à Idade Média, sendo possível identificar algumas das questões que a biologia veio a se debruçar nos séculos seguintes. Em seguida, enfatiza-se a mudança ocorrida na visão de mundo na Idade Moderna que se opôs a Escolástica e suas implicações na organizaçãoda ciência que culminou na Revolução Científica. O século XIX marca o surgimento da biologia enquanto ciência. No início do século alguns ramos já se configuravam, porém ainda vinculados com a filosofia da natureza. Constitui-se a partir daí um olhar específico sobre a natureza considerando-se três teorias principais: teoria celular, teoria do equilíbrio interno e a teoria da seleção natural e origens das espécies. Duas perspectivas centrais se estruturaram, uma Mecanicista e outra Histórica, as quais sustentaram ... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The thesis was developed in order to identify the elements necessary for an understanding of biological vision about the nature, historical and philosophical perspective. We conducted a theoretical study based on dialectical materialist thought, to identify the key issues underpinning biology, considering its history of construction and look at the philosophy of science about it. There was a documentary survey mainly on secondary sources on the history and philosophy of biology, also in some primary sources. Having performed this step, there was a review of disciplinary content of National Curriculum of Secondary Education (PCNEM) PCNEM + and Curriculum guidelines. The study walked directed by three questions: What are the elements that characterize the biology as such throughout its construction? How these elements are characterized and articulate? Documents of curriculum consider these elements in its formulation? As a result, it brought the history of ideas on living in antiquity to the Middle Ages, it is possibile to identify some of the questions that biology came to look over the following centuries. Then, we seek to emphasize the change in worldview in the modern era who opposed scholasticism and its implications to the science that culminated in the Scientific Revolution. The nineteenth century marks the emergence of biology as a science. At the beginning of the century there were already some branches, but still tied to the philosophy of nature. It consists from there a specific look on nature by considering three main theories: cell theory, theory of internal equilibrium and the theory of natural selection and origin of species. Two central perspectives are structured, a Mechanistic and another Historic, which ... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

The thesis called "Mathematics for children with special educational needs in primary school focused on the Asperger´s Syndrome issue" (hereinafter referred to as AS) introduces the problematic of AS and recommends specific teachings methods for pupils having AS. The thesis is divided into four thematic chapters. The first chapter introduces the AS itself. It describes all the typical characteristics, especially problems in the area of communication and establishing social relationships which are substantial at AS. However, all these issues have a solution. This chapter therefore includes a relevant overview of methods and techniques that can help individuals with AS. Then we introduce educational methods of children with AS in primary schools. There are different ways to educate individuals with AS, i.e. individuals with specific educational needs. The major ones are their integration at primary school or their specific education in dedicated classrooms. In this work we also deal with the issue of bullying these children. We note there is number of tutorials on how to prevent existing bullying. The chapter dealing with education of children with AS at primary schools is terminated by a description of methods of teaching these individuals. In the following section we refer to the key part of the thesis which is mathematics. In the thesis we report about the subject matter of mathematics at primary school in detail. The thesis also includes areas investigated in our own research. From all the forms and methods of teaching we are trying to highlight those that are beneficial and convenient for individuals with AS. The practical part includes description of work with two pupils with the AS diagnosis. The research was conducted in two main phases. During the first one the pupils were observed in mathematics lessons, in the second one then they filled in prepared worksheets, whose main aim was to assist them in areas where they are weak or not as good as in other areas of mathematics. We have attached several worksheets to the thesis and with their help we illustrate the results of our work. In the final discussion there are summarized lessons learned and given some practical verification instructions for working with pupils with AS.

Dans le cadre de l’amortissement passif de structure, les élastomères sont employés dans les industries du transport sous la forme de liaisons amortissantes. Ces matériaux ont un comportement dépendant de la fréquence, de la température et de l’amplitude d’excitation. Les modèles numériques associés peuvent être coûteux en temps de calcul, notamment en phase d’optimisation. Le but de cette thèse est de proposer un modèle réduit efficace de ces liaisons amortissantes, qui prenne en compte la dissipation viscoélastique et les précharges non-linéaires dans les liaisons. La première partie de ce mémoire se concentre sur la représentation de la dissipation par le modèle réduit. Une loi de comportement viscoélastique, basée sur un modèle rhéologique identifié expérimentalement, est utilisée avec la méthode des éléments finis pour obtenir un modèle numérique des liaisons amortissantes. Un premier modèle réduit prédictif, prenant en compte la dissipation en est dérivé en utilisant une extension originale des méthodes de sous-structuration. La deuxième partie traite de l’influence des précharges statiques non-linéaires sur le comportement dynamique et la dissipation dans les liaisons. Pour cela, une loi de comportement hyper-visco-élastique linéarisée autour d’un état précontraint statique non-linéaire est développée. Les méthodes de sous-structuration introduites dans la première partie sont alors enrichies afin de tenir compte de la dissipation et les non-linéarités géométriques dans les liaisons. Finalement, ces modèles réduits à 2 nœuds permettent des gains en temps de calcul d’un facteur 50 à 100 et sont facilement utilisables par l’ingénieur en phase de conception. / In the context of passive damping, various mechanical systems from the space, aeronautic or auto-mobile industry use elastomer components (shock absorbers, silent blocks, flexible joints...).These materials have frequency, temperature and amplitude dependentcharacteristics. The associated numerical models may become computationally too expensive during an optimization process.The aim of this work is to propose an efficient reduced model of rubber devices that account for the viscoelastic damping and the non-linear pre-stress in the dampers.The first part of this thesis is about how to include the viscoelasticdamping in the reduced model. It starts by using a viscoelastic constitutive relation, based on experimental identification, within the frame of the finite element method to obtain a numerical model of the rubber dampers. A first efficient reduced model is then derived from this FE model by using an original extension of sub-structuring methods in the case of viscoelastic damping.In the second part, the influence of non-linear static pre-stress overthe dynamic behavior and the dissipation in the dampers is studied. An hyper-visco-elastic constitutive relation, linearized in the neighbourhood of a pre-stressed state, is developed. The sub-structuring methods presented in the first part are then upgraded to account for the damping and the geometrical non-linearities in the dampers. Finally, these 2-node reduced models give access to greatly reduced computation times (50 to 100 times faster) and are easy to use for the engineer.

Submitted by Diogo Misoguti (diogo.misoguti@gmail.com) on 2016-06-21T12:48:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 fernando-dias-de-oliveira (1).pdf: 1755689 bytes, checksum: 1e2aa0ea345dc043fa041e8f2db652d3 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Diogo Misoguti (diogo.misoguti@gmail.com) on 2016-06-21T12:49:28Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 fernando-dias-de-oliveira (1).pdf: 1755689 bytes, checksum: 1e2aa0ea345dc043fa041e8f2db652d3 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-21T12:49:28Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 fernando-dias-de-oliveira (1).pdf: 1755689 bytes, checksum: 1e2aa0ea345dc043fa041e8f2db652d3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-07-15 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O presente estudo assume a abordagem metodológica qualitativa de caráter descritivo e é delineado através de um estudo de caso educacional, amparado pela Teoria Crítica. O objetivo geral desta pesquisa é investigar e discutir de que modo a mídia televisiva e outros estruturantes tecnológicos estão sendo tematizados nos cursos de formação inicial de professores de Educação Física. De forma específica, esta pesquisa objetiva investigar e discutir sobre: i) a importância da formação e atuação de professores de educação física, na perspectiva crítica; ii) a forma com que a indústria cultural se apropria e ressignifica os elementos da cultura corporal de movimento; iii) a necessidade da existência de debates durante os cursos de formação inicial de professores de educação física sobre as influências da mídia televisiva e de outros estruturantes tecnológicos na sociedade; iv) o papel do uso da mídia televisiva e de outros estruturantes tecnológicos nas aulas de educação física na educação básica. O marco teórico ergue-se em meio aos seguintes campos: Teoria Crítica, profissionalização docente, formação de professores de educação física, mídia televisiva e outros estruturantes tecnológicos. No delineamento do estudo de caso foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas junto a 7 professores de educação física em atuação no ciclo II do Ensino Fundamental, na Secretaria Municipal de Educação da cidade de Barueri, escolhidos sob determinado critério de seleção. No decorrer do processo investigativo, também foi realizada a análise dos Projetos Políticos Pedagógicos das escolas em que os sujeitos de pesquisa lecionam, da Proposta Curricular empreendida pelo município em questão e das diretrizes da área de educação física para a formação de professores. A análise destes dados, organizada pelo estabelecimento de categorias de análise, permitiu compreender que a formação inicial do professor de Educação Física não contempla, com a devida propriedade, a temática abordada neste estudo: a integração e a reflexão crítica sobre a mídia televisiva e outros estruturantes tecnológicos, no contexto da prática docente. Em convergência com tal cenário, os achados da pesquisa também sinalizam – no âmbito da rede municipal de educação em tela –, a fragilidade de políticas públicas de formação continuada de professores de Educação Física voltadas a tal temática, traduzida na ausência da oferta de cursos e/ou programas de formação voltados ao uso pedagógico dos estruturantes tecnológicos. / This study has qualitative methodological approach descriptive and is designed by a study of educational case, supported by the Critical Theory. The overall objective of this research is to investigate and discuss how the television media and other technological structuring are being contemplated in initial training courses for teachers of Physical Education. Specifically, this research aims to investigate and discuss: i) the importance of education and performance of physical education teachers in the critical perspective; ii) the way the culture industry appropriates and reframes the culture of body movement elements; iii) the need for the existence of debates during the initial training courses of physical education teachers on the influence of television media and other technological structuring in society; iv) the role of the use of television media and other technological structuring in physical education classes in basic education. The theoretical framework is supported by the following fields: Critical Theory, teacher professionalization, training of physical education teachers, television media and other technological structuring. In the case of study, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 7 physical education teacher’s at work in the elementary school cycle II in the Municipal Department of Education of the city of Barueri, chosen under selection criteria. During the investigative process, was also performed the analysis of the Pedagogical Political Projects of the schools where the research subjects teach, the Curriculum Proposal undertaken by the municipality concerned and the guidelines of the physical education area for teacher education. Analysis of these data, organized according to categories of analysis, shows that the initial formation of Physical Education teacher does not provide, with due property, the issue addressed in this study: integration and critical reflection on the television media and other technological structuring, in the context of teaching. In convergence with such a scenario, the survey findings also indicate - within the municipal screen in education - the fragility of public policies for continuous training of physical education teachers focused on this theme, reflected in the absence of the provision of courses and / or training programs aimed at educational use of technological structuring.

This dissertation examines conceptual reorganisation in second language learners by comparing event construal patterns in first language (L1) and second language (L2) discourse. Previous research suggests that the way grammatical aspect is encoded in the speaker's L1 can influence how events are conceptualised in their L2 (von Stutterheim & Carroll 2006). Given the lack of consensus regarding partial (Bylund 2011a) versus zero (Schmiedtová et al. 2011) susceptibility to reorganising L1 event construal patterns in L2, the present work contributes to this resonant discussion by investigating the extent to which language-specific grammatical aspectual operators influence message planning (Levelt 1989, Habel & Tappe 1999) in three typologically diverse L1 groups and four L2 groups. More specifically, film verbalisations and picture descriptions by Czech, Hungarian and English native speakers, and Czech and Hungarian learners of English at basic and advanced levels were elicited to test (a) whether crosslinguistic event construal contrasts are attributable to the differences in the grammatical means that are available for encoding temporality in a particular L1; (b) whether learners’ degree of susceptibility to reorganising L1 principles for temporal reference in the target language changes as a function of L2 proficiency; and (c) whether event construal patterns across groups remain unaffected by changes of modality (speech vs. writing) and task type. The main novel feature lies in testing L2 learners’ ability to adjust L1 thinking-for-speaking principles (Slobin 1996) in the target language through a systematic scrutiny of four conceptualisation processes abreast (i.e. event segmentation, information selection, temporal structuring and linearization).