Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of California, San Diego, and San Diego State University, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 81-89).

Prison inmates are more prone to commit suicide than are individuals in the general population. Current scientific research has identified risk factors of suicide in the general population, such as mood disorders, but only a few research studies have examined risk factors that are particularly relevant to the incarcerated population. This study used a quantitative archival research design to examine the effect of primary and secondary psychopathic personality traits on the development of suicidal behavior in the mentally ill male prison inmate population at a U.S. federal prison located in the Southeast. Data on psychopathic traits as measured by the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised, and on depression as measured by the Personality Assessment Inventory, together with information on the number of suicide attempts coming from prison medical files, were gained from an archival database. The sample size was 203 participants where data were previously collected during their pretrial evaluation. The study was guided by Mann's diathesis-stress model of suicide, according to which impulsive-aggressive personality traits, both of which are characteristics of psychopathy, elevate the risk for suicide. Furthermore, depression may serve as the stress component of the model, and thus its effect was also added to the standard multiple regression model in the analysis. During the analysis, a pattern emerged in which the effect of secondary psychopathic traits was moderated by the percent of time spent in solitary confinement. The results of this research contribute to positive social change by helping professionals working with this population to address the issue of suicide prevention in prison settings via more effective treatment programs.

This paper presents the lexical component of the START Question Answering system developed at the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. START is able to interpret correctly a wide range of semantic relationships associated with alternate expressions of the arguments of verbs. The design of the system takes advantage of the results of recent linguistic research into the structure of the lexicon, allowing START to attain a broader range of coverage than many existing systems.

No description available.

Cette thèse a pour objet le classement et la description des verbes intransitifs monoactanciels en géorgien, dans une perspective linguistique typologique. L’analyse comporte deux phases : d’une part un classement des verbes, et d’autre part une réflexion critique sur la complexité du système mis en évidence ainsi que sur la notion d’intransitivité en général. Le classement proposé commence par séparer les verbes non dérivés d’autres verbes (‘intransitifs primaires’) de ceux dont la morphologie indique un processus de dérivation détransitive (‘intransitifs dérivés’). Les verbes monoactanciels primaires se divisent en deux classes, ayant chacune une unité à la fois sémantique et morphosyntaxique : les verbes téliques (comme ‘mourir’) et les verbes atéliques (comme ‘vivre’). Les verbes biactanciels sont ensuite brièvement décrits selon une échelle de transitivité. Puis sont abordés les verbes monoactanciels dérivés, qui peuvent avoir jusqu’à quatre interprétations : passive, décausative, autocausative et antipassive, et enfin les couples de verbes dont les deux membres transitif et intransitif sont marqués morphologiquement. L’intransitivité monoactancielle en géorgien n’a pas encore été traitée de façon globale, en particulier certains aspects comme l’antipassif, dont on propose une étude détaillée. Le présent travail entend apporter une contribution à la fois aux études kartvéliennes et aux récentes réflexions générales sur les concepts de transitivité, de valence et de voix. En effet, par son grand nombre de classes verbales et par le lien étroit qu’il fait entre morphosyntaxe et sémantique, le géorgien a des données de premier choix à fournir à l’étude de ces concepts. / The topic of this PhD thesis is a classification and description of one-argument intransitive verbs in Georgian in a typological perspective. The analysis consists of two steps: firstly, the classification of the various types of verbs and secondly, a critical investigation of the complexity of the system under study and on the concept of intransitivity in general. The proposed classification begins by separating verbs not derived from other verbs (‘primary intransitives’) from those whose morphology indicates a process of de-transitive derivation (‘derived intransitives’). Primary one-argument verbs, in turn, are divided into two classes, each consisting of verbs with the same morphological, as well as semantic properties: telic verbs (such as “to die”) and atelic verbs (e.g. “to live”). Two-argument verbs are briefly described according to a transitivity scale. Discussed next are derived one-argument verbs which may have up to four readings: passive, decausative, autocausative and antipassive, and finally, verb pairs whose members, one transitive and one intransitive, are both morphologically marked. One-argument intransitivity in Georgian has not yet been investigated thoroughly; this particularly applies to some of its aspects such as the antipassive, of which a detailed study is offered here. The present work is intended to contribute to Kartvelian studies and at the same time, to recent discussion in general linguistics on the concepts of transitivity, valency and voice. Indeed, owing to its large number of verb classes and the close connection between morphosyntax and semantics, Georgian offers excellent data for the study of these concepts.

Submitted by Jorge Silva (jorgelmsilva@ufrrj.br) on 2018-05-11T20:37:02Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2014 - Fernanda J?nck.pdf: 8186762 bytes, checksum: 6eba6d05f3cab5ce4f35c47d8878ed0d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-11T20:37:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2014 - Fernanda J?nck.pdf: 8186762 bytes, checksum: 6eba6d05f3cab5ce4f35c47d8878ed0d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-12-16 / CAPES / Pteridium (aquilinum) arachnoideum is a cosmopolitan plant, responsible for heavy losses in cattle for heavy losses in almost all Brazil. This plant causes three clinical pictures: an acute disease, characterized by hemorrhages and fever, and two chronic diseases characterized by bladder tumors and carcinomas of the superior digestive tract. In Santa Catarina, in a retrospective study, the acute poisoning is the form that prevailed. Most of the cases ocurred in the autumn and the main clinical signs observed were fever and faeces with blood. The macroscopic lesions were widespread hemorrhages and infarcts mainly in lung, liver, intestine and lymphnodes, which were characterized by necrosis associated with groups of basophylic bact?ria, sometimes with formation of bubbles of gas. In the bone marrow there was rarefaction or absence of hematopoietic tissue. The experimental reproduction of the disease was realized in four cattle, two vaccinated against clostridioses and two not vaccinated. These cattle received doses of 20, 20, 14 and 10g/kg/day, and they died after 82, 94, 46 and 76 days, when they had ingested 149, 180, 71 and 75% of the plant in relation to their weight. The course of the clinical signs was 5, 4, 1 and 5 days, and at post-mortem examination the lesions found were hemorrhages of varied degrees and locations. Liver infarcts were found in bovines 2, 3 and 4, and in the intestine in all the cattle. The histological lesions were characterized by rarefaction and absence of hematopoietic tissue in the bone marrow, necrosis and bacterial aggregates in the liver, lung, intestine and lymphnodes. Histopathology did not reveal inflammatory reaction and if present the intensity was slight. Samples of organs with infarcts collected at necropsy, in the spontaneous and experimental intoxication, sown in Tarozzi medium, produced gas. Five samples caused death in mice after inoculation of the medium. At necropsy the carcasses had putrid smell, the subcutaneous tissue was red and there was edema and red liquid in the abdominal cavity. Two mice that were sacrificed presented inflammatory reaction in the place of the application, characterized by areas of adherence of the skin to the subcutaneous tissue and presence of abscesso, and four presented putrid smell at necropsy. The impression of of the liver capsula of the mice that died or got sick, revealed small Gram positive rods. Histopathology of the mice that died, revealed in the skeletal musculature of the thighs edema between the fibers with necrosis and eosinofilia of fibers and great amount of small basophylic rods, associated with slight inflammatory mononuclear infiltration and hemorrhage. In the skin also inflammatory filtrate was observed, with edema in the derma and great amount of small basophylics rods. The rest of the mice were sacrificed and no alterations were found. The identification by Chain reaction of Polimerase (PCR) of the liver of the mice that had died, in Tarozzi medium, resulted in Clostridium septicum. / Pteridium (aquilinum) arachnoideum ? planta cosmopolita, respons?vel por perdas vultuosas na cria??o de bovinos em quase todas as regi?es do Brasil. Esta planta ? respons?vel por causar tr?s quadros cl?nicos: um quadro agudo, caracterizado por hemorragias e febre, e dois quadros cr?nicos caracterizados por tumores de bexiga e do trato digest?rio superior. Em Santa Catarina, em estudo retrospectivo, a intoxica??o aguda ? a forma que prevaleceu sobre as demais. A maioria dos casos ocorreu no outono e os principais sinais cl?nicos observados foram febre e fezes com sangue. As les?es macrosc?picas encontradas foram hemorragias generalizadas e infartos principalmente em pulm?o, f?gado, intestino e linfonodo, os quais se caracterizavam por necrose associada a agregados bacterianos bas?filos, em alguns casos com forma??o de bolhas de g?s. Na medula ?ssea havia rarefa??o ou aus?ncia do tecido hematopo?tico. A reprodu??o experimental da doen?a foi realizada em quatro bovinos, dois vacinados contra clostridioses e dois n?o vacinados. Estes receberam doses de 20, 20, 14 e 10g/kg/dia de Pteridium (aquilinum) arachnoideum, e morreram com 82, 94, 46 dias e 76 dias, quando tinham ingerido 149, 180, 71 e 75% de planta em rela??o ao peso vivo. A evolu??o dos sinais cl?nicos foi de 5, 4, 1 e 5 dias, e, ? necropsia, as les?es consistiram de hemorragias em variados graus e localiza??es. Infartos de f?gado foram encontrados nos Bovinos 2, 3 e 4 e no intestino em todos os bovinos. As les?es histol?gicas se caracterizaram por rarefa??o e aus?ncia de tecido hematopo?tico na medula ?ssea, necrose e agregados bacterianos no f?gado, pulm?o, intestino e linfonodo. As les?es histol?gicas n?o revelaram rea??o inflamat?ria e quando presente, a intensidade era leve. Amostras de ?rg?os com infartos coletadas de necropsias nas intoxica??es espont?nea e experimental foram semeadas no meio de cultivo de Tarozzi e produziram g?s. Cinco amostras causaram a morte dos camundongos ap?s inocula??o do meio. ? necropsia desses camundongos verificou-se carca?as com cheiro p?trido, tecido subcut?neo avermelhado e com edema e l?quido avermelhado na cavidade abdominal. Dois camundongos que foram eutanasiados apresentaram rea??o inflamat?ria no local da aplica??o, caracterizada por ?reas de ader?ncia da pele com o tecido subcut?neo e abscessos; quatro exalavam cheiro p?trido na hora da realiza??o da necropsia. A impress?o da c?psula do f?gado dos camundongos que morreram e que ficaram doentes, revelou bastonetes Gram-positivos. ? histologia dos camundongos que morreram verificou-se na musculatura esquel?tica da regi?o da coxa, edema e hemorragia entre as fibras, necrose e eosinofilia de fibras e grande quantidade de bastonetes bas?filos, associado a infiltrado inflamat?rio mononuclear leve e hemorragia. Na pele tamb?m verificou-se, infiltrado inflamat?rio, com edema na derme e grande quantidade de bastonetes bas?filos. Os demais camundongos foram eutanasiados e n?o tiveram altera??es. A identifica??o por Rea??o em Cadeia de Polimerase (PCR) do meio de Tarozzi do f?gado dos camundongos que morreram foi detectado Clostridium septicum.

While child and adolescent depressive disorders have been historically studied as a downward extension of adult depression, recent research has supported the existence of child and adolescent depression as a distinct disorder and has indicated important developmental differences in symptomatology (Birmaher, Ryan, Williamson, Brent, & Kaufman, 1996; Lewinsohn, Hops, Roberts, Seeley, & Andrews, 1993), as well as greater intensity and endurance of depressive disorders in childhood and adolescence than in adults (Jensen, Ryan, & Prien, 1992). Continued research with adolescence is particularly necessary because such symptomatology can manifest in self destructive or even life threatening behaviors. Symptoms such as depressed mood, irritability, and diminished interest in activities can lead to cognitive, familial, and social problems (Hammen & Rudolph, 1996). There is a particular need to investigate ways to identify individuals at risk for depression, and highlighting interactions between risk factors could make this possible. Childhood and adolescent investigations have under-examined the self-schema and its possible ability to moderate the effect of negative life events on depression. The current study investigated the role of life events as an element that, when combined with distorted and negative cognitions relating to the self, would increase the existence of depressive symptomatology in adolescents. Self-schemas, life events, and interactions of both variables were examined as predictors of the severity of depressive symptomatology in 9- to 14-year old girls in two public school districts in Central Texas. Participants completed a self-report measure of depression, a projective measure of the self-schema, a self-report measure of life events, and a diagnostic interview. As expected, a negative self-schema significantly predicted level of depressive symptomatology. However, the experience of adverse life events did not predict level of depressive symptomatology. Additionally, while analyses demonstrated that adverse life events and negative self-schema together predicted the severity of depressive symptoms to a statistically significant degree, the interaction of the two independent variables did not predict severity of depressive symptoms. Implications of the results, limitations, and recommendations for future research are provided. / text

Depression is one of the most common psychological disorders and may be considered as one of the most prevalent forms of emotional/psychological illness among children. The prevalence of depressive disorders tends to rise dramatically during adolescence. Cognitive diathesis-stress models maintain that depression is produced through an interaction between cognitive vulnerability and negative life events. According to Beck, core beliefs are at the core of cognitive vulnerability. After the occurrence of a negative life event, the core belief is activated and influences how the individual interprets the negative life event. Beck maintains that three core beliefs are central to the development and maintenance of depressive disorders: the belief that one is helpless, unlovable, and/or worthless. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a coding system for a storytelling task could reliably assess Beck’s core beliefs. In doing so, this study sought to build upon previous research on the relations between negative life events, core beliefs, and depressive symptomatology among pre- and early adolescent females. Participants were 130 girls ranging in age from 9 to 14. All girls completed a self-report measure of life events and a projective story-telling measure that was used to assess their core beliefs. Participants also completed a semi-structured diagnostic interview, which served as the primary measure of depressive symptom severity. In support of previous research, both negative life events and negative core beliefs uniquely predicted the severity of depressive symptoms. Consistent with Beck’s cognitive model, the helpless and unlovable core beliefs uniquely predicted severity of depressive symptoms, although the worthless core belief did not. Further examination indicated that the helpless core belief was a more powerful influence on depressive symptoms than were the unlovable and worthless core beliefs. Contrary to Beck’s diathesis-stress model, however, negative core beliefs did not moderate the effects of negative life events on depressive symptomatology. For girls aged 9-11, however, a helpless core belief moderated the effects of negative life events on depressive symptom severity. Implications of these results, limitations, and future directions for research are discussed. / text

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe dysphoric form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that is included as a diagnosis for further study in the DSM-IV (APA, 2000). A primary aim of the present study was to characterize the co-occurrence of PMDD and major depression, in a sample that spans the entire range of depressive severity. The range included non-depressed controls, women meeting criteria for dysthymia, and women meeting criteria for current Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Co-occurrence of MDD and PMDD were only statistically significant when considering Lifetime MDD. Resting frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry has been hypothesized to tap a diathesis toward depression or other emotion-related psychopathology. Another primary aim was to assess Frontal EEG asymmetry in college women who meet criteria for Pre-Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder (n = 25) and 25 matched controls. Participants were assessed four times in a two week period. Women reporting low premenstrual dysphoric symptomatology exhibited greater relative left frontal activity at rest than did women high in premenstrual dysphoric symptomatology. These results are consistent with a diathesis-stress model for premenstrual dysphoric symptomatology. A secondary aim was to assess whether individuals with PMDD or menstrual related mood variability, but no current diagnosis of depression, have an increased family history of depression. Promising evidence of a relationship between family history of MDD and a likelihood of PMDD was discovered. A trend was found for Spectrum PMDD women: a higher rate of Family History of MDD (36%) than non PMDD women (19.6%). Ideally, resting frontal electroencephalographic (EEG) asymmetry could help us learn more about the etiology of depression and hormonal-related depression specifically, and test whether they may share etiological factors.

The present paper focuses on the problem of reflexivization in Lithuanian and English. The study is based on a corpus of 6718 instances of reflexive constructions in the novel “Sodybų Tuštėjimo Metas” by Jonas Avyžius and their equivalents in the English variant of the text translated by Olga Shartse. The aim of the paper is to describe the semantic patterns that can be expressed by reflexive constructions in Lithuanian and English, and to determine the basic similarities and differences in the employment of reflexivization in the two languages. The analysis is carried out by means of the descriptive method. The results show that both in Lithuanian and English the greatest number of reflexive constructions are used in their primary function, i.e. to mark the coreference of two semantic roles. In both the languages reflexives can be used to mark other meanings than that of semantic reflexivity, but Lithuanian reflexive constructions are in a position to express more meanings. The analysis of the data shows that, in contrast to Lithuanian, in English there is a strong preference for the use of unmarked reflexive constructions rather than for the marked ones in all the semantic patterns. The differences in the use of reflexive constructions in the two languages can be accounted for by the peculiarities of the morphological structure of the languages. In English the reflexive marker is a pronoun with a relatively independent syntactical status, which can be omitted if the context... [to full text]