No description available.

Interpreting graphically displayed data is an important life skill. This thesis examines some of the problems that 14 and 15 year olds encounter when interpreting trends in cartesian graphs. A survey of errors made by 144 pupils is discussed, which shows that two of the most difficult aspects of graph work are interpreting changes in gradients, and inter-relating the graph with its context. A detailed analysis of individual pupils interpretations of changes in gradients shows that pupils conceptions of gradient can be classified according to whether they have an 'iconic' or an 'analytical' origin. iconic descriptions are concerned with the structure, shape or position of the curve, whereas analytical descriptions are concerned with more abstract notions, such as the angle or steepness of the curve, and rate of increase. The results indicate that the occurrence of different kinds of conceptions is influenced by both the form of the graph and its context. In another study, the pupils were given two structurally isomorphic graph interpretation tasks. The results of this investigation also show that the context of a graph in relation to its structural form, has a profound influence upon the way that pupils interpret it. Interpretations are described, in which the influence of metaphors, knowledge from everyday life experience and anthropomorphic reactions can be seen. Pictorial accounts show how conceptions from some of these sources are brought into the pupils interpretations.

Previous research on social anxiety disorder has suggested fear of negative evaluation is the key construct underlying the maintenance of the disorder. Recent studies have provided evidence that socially anxious individuals also experience anxiety in response to positive social events. Many past investigations have failed to control for the effects of depression so it is unknown whether the interpretation biases present in past investigations were due to social anxiety or comorbid depressive symptomatology. The current study sought to replicate and extend previous findings related to social anxiety and interpretation of positive social events. Consistent with previous studies social anxiety predicted negative interpretations of ambiguous social events after controlling for depression. In contrast to hypotheses, social anxiety was not associated with profoundly negative interpretations of positive social events. Clinical implications and directions for future research are discussed.

vii, 50 p. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Emmanuel Levinas has recently been given much attention for the resources that his writing could provide for an ethics of the non-human. While some commentators dismiss the humanistic biases of Levinas' analyses in favor of expanded sites of application, others argue that Levinas' anthropocentrism is central to his philosophy. This debate is resolved by demonstrating that Levinas' analysis oflanguage and separation in Totality and Infinity is an analysis of the hW11an on!.v. For Levinas, ethics signifies the peculiar way ofbeing in the world that is found in the site of the human. This way of being in the world is the emergence of concems about justice, the emergence of reason and discourse, but it does not restrict moral consideration to hwnans. Despite Levinas' own tendency to align the non-human animal against the ethical, there is nothing in Levinas' analysis that prevents granting full moral consideration to the non-human. / Adviser: Ted Toadvine

abstract: In the triumvirate of composer-performer-listener, while the listener always wins, the performer is the interpreter through which the listener experiences the writings of the composer. When the composer and performer are combined, however, a unique situation arises: the link from the composer to the listener becomes a direct line and the composer becomes his/her own interpreter. Such is the case with Benjamin Britten. Britten conducted almost his entire repertoire in recordings for Decca (the exceptions being Paul Bunyan, Owen Wingrave, and Death in Venice). A comparative analysis of the recordings of four of Britten's works, the Serenade for Tenor, Horn, and Strings, Op. 31; Albert Herring, Op. 39; Spring Symphony, Op. 44; and the Nocturne, Op. 60, shows that despite his complaints about performers not following his tempo markings, Britten often deviated from them himself, tending slower. Britten also occasionally added additional rubato, ritardandi, and accelerandi to his works. Additionally, a discrepancy regarding a pitch in the "Prelude" of the Serenade comes to light. Video of Britten conducting the Nocturne in rehearsal with the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC) Vancouver provides additional insight into his methodology. Benjamin Britten succeeded as a composer-conductor, and his catalogue of recordings provides essential primary reference material when studying his works. / Dissertation/Thesis / D.M.A. Music 2014

D.Litt et Phil. / Please refer to full text to view abstract

M.A. (Semitic Languages And Cultures) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

This thesis is concerned with the development of an optimization based approach to solving labelling problems which involve the assignment of image entities into interpretation categories in computer vision. Attention is mainly focussed on the theoretical basis and computational aspect of continuous relaxation for solving a discrete labelling problem based on an optimization framework. First, a theoretical basis for continuous relaxation is presented which includes the formulation of a discrete labelling problem as a continuous minimization problem and an analysis of labelling unambiguity associated with continuous relaxation. The main advantage of the formulation over existing formulations is the embedding of relational measurements into the specification of a consistent labelling. The analysis provides a sufficient condition for a continuous labelling formulation to ensure that a consistent labelling is unambiguous. Second, a continuous relaxation labelling algorithm based on mean field theory is presented with the aim of approximating simulated annealing in a deterministic manner. The novelty of the algorithm lies in the utilization of mean field theory technique to avoid stochastic optimization for approximating the global optimum of a consistent labelling criterion. This is contrast to the conventional methods which find a local optimum near an initial estimate of labelling. A special three-frame discrete labelling problem of establishing trinocular stereo correspondence and a mixed labelling problem of interpreting image entities in terms of cylindrical objects and their locations are also addressed. For the former, two orientation based geometric constraints are suggested for matching lines among three viewpoints and a method is presented to find a consistent labelling using simulated annealing. For the latter, the image interpretation of 3D cylindrical objects and their 3D locations is achieved using three knowledge sources: edge map, region map and the ground plane constraint. The method differs from existing methods in that it exploits an integrated use of multiple image cues to simplify the interpretation task and improve the interpretation performance. Experimental results on both synthetic data and real images are provided to demonstrate the viability and the potential of the proposed methods throughout the thesis.

Mortality has always been a popular theme in literature. By means of a semiological and narratological approach, it has been endeavoured in this study to prove that transience comprises a complex code constituted by a whole series of codes. In each of the chosen volumes one specific short story is analysed and all the codes related to transience are defined and described. Then these codes are discussed within the context of the volume as a whole. The following codes have been identified and analysed: death and death related codes, decay, distress, frustration, emptiness, loneliness observe, look and see, reproduction, the code of ageing, youth/ageing, lost love, time. The following texts of Aucamp have been used as the object of study: Die Hartseerwals, Spitsuur and 'n Bruidsbed vir Tant Nonnie. The reason these texts were selected, is twofold: They represent the early works of the author. The continuity is essential for making meaningful deductions. The final conclusions are: Man's bond with an environment which is characterised by continual change, influences his existence and makes his life a tentative experience. Transience involves more than merely ageing, obsolescence and death. Transience is a complex experience, related to the physical and mental in man. Besides ageing, sexuality contributes to man's downfall. Loneliness, isolation and frustration determine his actions and stress his experience of transience. The result is a painful experience of life.

The thesis provides an interpretation of the poem ʺ(Taalstryd)ʺ (Lewendood, p.143) by employing deconstruction theory, particularly as it has been developed by Jacques Derrida. The main assumption is that the text is not a self-sufficient entity, but finds itself in a continually changing relationship with other texts, a relationship described by deconstructionists as intertextuality. This relationship, as it has been described by Julia Kristeva, does not only involve literary works, but also the world-as- text. In chapter one this point of view is illustrated in a discussion around the title of the poem. It is postulated that the title is not a neutral description of a period in the history of the development of the Afrikaans language. Rather, it represents an ideological concept which can be interpreted in various ways. The poem clearly lends itself to an interpretation of "the struggle for the Taal" as a struggle which has manifested itself in many different areas and historical periods within the South African context. In chapter two the discussion of the relationship between language, history and ideology is continued. It is shown how the ʺofficialʺ history represents a one-sided view of Afrikaans as a ʺEuropeanʺ language, greatly ignoring its African component. This representation relies on a logocentric approach to the relationship between language and writing. Breytenbach's poetry, like the writings of Derrida, can be regarded as a "deconstruction" of this approach. The ʺdisseminationʺ of meaning in ʺ(Taalstryd)ʺ is illustrated in terms of the poem's intertextual relationship with Breytenbachʾs ʺPlease don't feed the animalsʺ and Krigeʾs ʺLied van die Fascistiese bomwerpersʺ. Chapter three sets ʺ(Taalstryd)ʺ within the current debate surrounding Afrikaner survival. It is shown how the Afrikaner power base has been established and strengthened by way of legislation, the system of Christian National Education, as well as the creation of a nationalist-orientated history. This power base is currently in a state of crisis, in which different political groupings are continuing the ʺ(Taalstryd)ʺ