Fung Shui Cheung. / Thesis (M. Phil.)--Chinese University of Hongkong. / Bibliography: leaves 177-188.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The current study framed as Social Structuring of Language and the Mobility of Semiotic Resources across the Linguistic Landscapesof Zambia: A Multimodal Analysis, is situated in Lusaka and Livingstone and their selected surrounding peri-urban and rural spaces (of Kabanana, Bauleni and Chipata; Kafue, Chongwe, Chief Mukuni’s area and stretches between Livingstoneand Zimba and Livingstone and Kazungula). The study aims to explore the linguistic landscapes (LL) of these urban, peri-urban and rural spaces in order to gain insight into the social structuring of language and the mobility of semiotic resources across the LL. This entails an understanding of how languages are distributed and realized across the research sites. In particular, the study aims at understanding how the regionalization of languages is (re-)produced, contested and maintained in (and beyond) the territories for which they are promulgated for use. Thus, the study foregrounds the mobility of the semiotic resources across the LL. In essence, artefactual material, symbols including languages are, in a multimodal fashion, investigated to see their pliability and mobility from context to context. In the light of the mobility of the semiotic resources, the study privileges both translocal and transnational mobility as the force behind the movement and the dispersal of the semiotic material across ethnolinguistic, formal, informal, urban and rural boundaries. This meant understanding the kind of signs in both urban and rural areas and why they are emplaced in the broader context of sign/place-and meaning making. In order to achieve the aim and objectives, the study has been foregrounded in ethnographic research paradigm in which walk, gaze, talk (interview) and photography were of irreplaceable importance. The conflation of walk, gaze (observation), talk and photography in one investigation avails much. Firstly, the walk brought the researcher within the allowable observation range in order to gain an insider impression while, at the same time, maintaining the objectivity required for an unbiased analysis. Participant observation coupled with gaze offered the required positioning for carrying out a multimodal analysis especially in the rural areas which turned out to have the paucity of signage. Thus, by being a participant observer, I keenly observed how sign-and meaning making were accomplished in oral-dominant communities. This meant positioning oneself as a new comer needing direction. It was in such moments when practices of sign-and meaning making were observed and recorded. For example, I would ask: how do I get to the next village/school/headman? The reference to ecological features such as trees, hills and streams extended the taxonomy of signs available for use in rural areas. Interviews with business owners about the emplaced signs brought to the fore the hidden narratives often gushing out from individualized orientation and personal experiences, as well as the shared sociocultural knowledge and histories of both the producer and consumers of the multimodal LL. Photography yielded digital images forming not only the quantitative data but also the qualitative one upon which a multimodal analysis was done. The aim was to capture over 1500 of images which were to be processed by the Software Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS). Over 1500 images were collected but only 1157 were coded based on the languages present, materiality, inscription, and emplacement. The quantitative data arising from this exercise provided insight into the social structuring of language and mobility of the semiotic resources across the urban, peri-urban and rural spaces. These results were later compared with the national census reports. The analysis of images as qualitative data availed much about the multimodal nature of the signage in place. The analysis of the qualitative data was accomplished by multimodality in its evolve form. Kress and Van Leeuwen’s(2006) Grammar of Visual Design, Scollon and Sollon’s (2003) Geosemiotics, and theoretical concepts such as resemiotization, remediation, recontextualization, decontextualization, multivocality and metamorphosis provided a sound theoretical toolkit to analyse the multimodal/multisemiotic signage emplaced across the public spaces of the research sites. As a result of a robust methodology and theoretical base, the study was able to underpin the social structuring of language and the mobility of semiotic resources across the linguistic landscapes in a manner too apparent. First, apart from showing the linguistic heterogeneity of the research sites, the study shows that social structuring of languages being experienced is one that is predicated on predictability, flexibility, flux and indeterminacy. The results showing the social structuring of English, for example, demonstrate the uneven spread of English across the urban, peri-urban and rural spaces. In particular, the results go against the normative expectation that the urbanized centres of Lusaka and Livingstone would have more signs in English. Peri-urban (Kabanana) and rural (Chongwe/Kafue) spaces showed more signs in English. This suggests a disembodiment of language and locality as well as social actors. Moreover, the results showed the co-occupancy of English and local languages in one micro-space/time. This entails the blurring of boundaries between languages of different socio-political statuses. The bilingualsigns on which English and non-regional languages occur demonstrate the persistent percolation of minor languages onto the LL. The presence of regional languages, albeit differentially, in and beyond their regions for which they were promulgated reminds us that there is a counter hegemonic narrative going on in the LL of the research sites –in defiance of regionalization (zoning). Thus, the results show that languages in the research sites do not stay put where they are officially put by legislation. The conflation of multiple semiotic resources has further (re-)produced linguistic coinages resulting in what I refer to as a sociolinguistics of amalgamation predicated on hybridity, fusion and tr ans languaging. This evidence is framed within the trans local and transnational mobility where both the social actors and the semiotic resources are constantly in circulation. The study observes that mobility is not only restricted to local circulation of cultural materialities from urban to rural and rural to urban,but also a more transnational circulation of semiotic resources. For example, the ubiquitous spread of Chinese signage across the urban, peri-urban and rural LL accentuates the permeating effect of translocal and transnational mobility, leading to the de-territorialization of spaces. The study further shows the sociocultural narratives in place-and meaning making. Place and meaning making as an agentive act is premised on shared sociocultural knowledge and histories (Kress 2010), but is further exploited and extended by creatively drawing on individualized orientation, experiences and subjective sensibilities. In this regard, the study agrees with Hult (2009) that in order to glean the subjective narrations and re-imagining of space embedded in the emplaced signs, interviews with the owners of the emplaced signs is in dispensible. Thus, like Blommaert (2012) aptly suggests, spaces are semiotized as themed spaces. The study has shown how spaces are Christianized, moralized, gendered and anonymized, thus, gaining insight into the forces and meanings behind both the emplacement of and emplaced signs. Further, the reading of artefacts in Livingstone Museum shows how the juxtaposition of the material culture of multilingualism and multiculturalism is a semiotic strategy to double-articulate multiple localities simultaneously: local and global; familiar and unfamiliar; modern and tradition. The transaction of multi vocality in a single moment of emplacement and gaze transforms space dramatically and extends the meaning potential of the emplaced signage in micro-space/time. Further, the observable paucity of signs in rural areas forces us to defer to an ecological approach in which oral language mediation, recycling and repurposing of material affordances provide a comprehensive account of the signage and sign-making/consumption in place. form. Kress and Van Leeuwen’s(2006) Grammar of Visual Design, Scollon and Sollon’s (2003) Geosemiotics, and theoretical concepts such as resemiotization, remediation, recontextualization, decontextualization, multivocality and metamorphosis provided a sound theoretical toolkit to analyse the multimodal/multisemiotic signage emplaced across the public spaces of the research sites. As a result of a robust methodology and theoretical base, the study was able to underpin the social structuring of language and the mobility of semiotic resources across the linguistic landscapes in a manner too apparent. First, apart from showing the linguistic heterogeneity of the research sites, the study shows that social structuring of languages being experienced isone that is predicated on unpredictability, flexibility, flux and indeterminacy. The results showing the social structuring of English, for example, demonstrate the uneven spread of English across the urban, peri-urban and rural spaces. In particular, theresults go against the normative expectation that the urbanized centres of Lusaka and Livingstone would have more signs in English. Peri-urban (Kabanana) and rural (Chongwe/Kafue) spaces showed more signs in English. This suggests a disembodiment of language and locality as well as social actors. Moreover, the results showed the co-occupancy of English and local languages in one micro-space/time. This entails the blurring of boundaries between languages of different socio-political statuses. The bilingualsigns on which English and non-regional languages occur demonstrate the persistent percolation of minor languages onto the LL. The presence of regional languages, albeit differentially, in and beyond their regions for which they were promulgated reminds us that there is a counter hegemonic narrative going on in the LL of the research sites –in defiance of regionalization (zoning). Thus, the results show that languages in the research sites do not stay put where they are officially put by legislation. The conflation of multiple semiotic resources has further (re-)produced linguistic coinages resulting in what I refer to as a sociolinguistics of amalgamation predicated on hybridity, fusion and translanguaging. This evidence is framed within the translocal and transnational mobility where both the social actors and the semiotic resources are constantly in circulation. The study observes that mobility is not only restricted to local circulation of cultural materialities from urban to rural and rural to urban,but also a more transnational circulation of semiotic resources. For example, the ubiquitous spread of Chinese signage across the urban, peri-urban and rural LL accentuates the permeating effect of translocal and transnational mobility, leading to the de-territorialization of spaces. The study further shows the sociocultural narratives in place-and meaning making. Place and meaning making as an agentive act is premised on shared sociocultural knowledge and histories (Kress 2010), but is further exploited and extended by creatively drawing on individualized orientation, experiences and subjective sensibilities. In this regard, the study agrees with Hult (2009) that in order to glean the subjective narrations and re-imagining of space embedded in the emplaced signs, interviews with the owners of the emplaced signs is indispensible. Thus, like Blommaert (2012) aptly suggests, spaces are semiotized as themed spaces. The study has shown how spaces are Christianized, moralized, gendered and anonymized, thus, gaining insight into the forces and meanings behind both the emplacement of and emplaced signs. Further, the reading of artefacts in Livingstone Museum shows how the juxtaposition of the material culture of multilingualism and multiculturalism is a semiotic strategy to double-articulate multiple localities simultaneously: local and global; familiar and unfamiliar; modern and tradition. The transaction of multivocality in a single moment of emplacement and gaze transforms space dramatically and extends the meaning potential of the emplaced signage in micro-space/time. Further, the observable paucity of signs in rural areas forces us to defer to an ecological approach in which oral language mediation, recycling and repurposing of material affordances provide a comprehensive account of the signage and sign-making/consumption in place.

Many organisms with complex life cycles undergo transition periods associated with increased vulnerability to predation. Several evolutionary adaptations have been proposed as antipredator defenses for organisms during risky transition periods. These include: shortening of the transition period, parental care, cryptic coloration, and synchrony of risky transitions with large numbers of conspecifics. The results of my research support the hypothesis that synchrony of metamorphosis and emergence from the water and aggregation during the period of transformation may be antipredator defenses for the western toad (Bufo boreas). For some anuran species, synchronous metamorphosis may function as an antipredator adaptation by swamping predators during the period of transformation. I examined the levels of synchrony of emergence from the water of metamorphosing western toads (Bufo boreas) in the presence and absence of a live snake predator, the common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) in a laboratory experiment. To compare between the treatments, I measured the time to emergence from the water, the number of metamorphs emerging together, and the level of aggregation (before and during emergence) of the toads in each treatment. There was a difference between the treatments when all three factors were considered. I attributed these differences to a behavioral response in which B. boreas emerged sooner in the presence of the predator, regardless of whether individual toads had reached the point at which they were physically better suited to the terrestrial environment than the larval environment. Since the Pacific treefrog (Hyla regilla) is also preyed upon by T. sirtalis during the vulnerable period of metamorphosis, I conducted a laboratory experiment to test the effects of the presence of T. sirtalis on 1) aggregation of larval and metamorphosing H. regilla, 2) time to metamorphosis, 3) synchrony of metamorphosis, 4) time to emergence from the water and 5) synchrony of emergence from the water. The only significant effect observed in this experiment was a difference between aggregation levels of H. regilla throughout the experiment. There was, however, a strong trend in which the variances around the mean times to metamorphosis and emergence of the frogs in the control treatments were larger than those in the predator treatments. This could indicate a trend toward synchrony of metamorphosis and emergence for H. regilla in the presence of snake predators. / Graduation date: 1998

Processes that influence the early life stages of fishes can significantly impact population dynamics, yet they continue to be poorly understood. This dissertation examined relationships between the environment, early life history traits (ELHTs), behavior, and post-settlement survival for a coral reef fish, Stegastes partitus, in the upper Florida Keys, to elucidate how they influence juvenile demography. Otolith analysis of settlers and recruits coupled with environmental data revealed that S. partitus surviving the early juvenile period settled at larger sizes and grew slower post-settlement. Water temperature also influenced the ranges of these and other ELHTs as well as the intensity and direction of selective mortality processes acting on some of these traits (i.e., pelagic larval duration, mean larval growth). Otolith analysis was paired with behavioral observations of newly settled juvenile S. partitus in the field to reveal that the relationship between size-at-settlement, early juvenile growth and survival is behaviorally-mediated. Individuals that were larger at settlement were more active (i.e., spent less time sheltered, swam farther from shelters) and grew more slowly post-settlement. Likewise, slower juvenile growth was associated with greater activity, more conspecific aggression, and faster escape swimming speeds. A six-year time series of recruitment densities revealed substantial temporal (interannual, seasonal, lunar) and spatial (by microhabitat, conspecific density) variability in recruitment which influenced the composition of recruits. For instance, larvae settling during the darkest phases of the moon were larger at settlement, but selective mortality processes during brighter periods removed more of the smallest settlers, resulting in juveniles with similar sizes-at-settlement regardless of when they arrived to the reef. Because recruitment strength and composition varied temporally, genetic markers (6 microsatellite and 1 mitochondrial loci) were used to determine if the genetic composition of monthly cohorts of settling larvae and juveniles also varies interannually, monthly, or across life stages. A lack of genetic structure suggested that S. partitus has a large effective population size and variation in ELHTs is not likely the result of successful spawning of a disproportionately small group of adults. As a whole, these results reveal processes associated with larval supply and post-settlement life that collectively shape juvenile demography.

Sponge population partly depends on larval recruitment. Environmental factors, e.g. light, salinity, pH and temperature, chemical factors and pollution may influence larval settlement and metamorphosis. In this study, the effects of galaxolide¡]HHCB¡^¡Btonalide¡]AHTN¡^and bisphenol A¡]BPA¡^on the settlement and metamorphosis of an intertidal sponge ¡]Spongia ceylonensis¡^ were examined. The experiments included LC50 test, effects of solvent, HHCB, AHTN and BPA on sponge settlement and metamorphosis. In the LC50 tests, the 96 hr¡VLC50 value of HHCB and AHTN all greater than 1.00 mg/L, and the 96 hr¡VLC50 of BPA was 0.58 mg/L. Acetone concentration (1.00 mg/L ) in this study didn¡¦t affect sponge settlement and metamorphosis. Effect of HHCB and AHTN on sponge settlement and metamorphosis concentrations of 0.13, 0.25, 0.50 and 1.00 mg/L was insignificant. In contrast, the settlement rate was decrease by 20 % at treatment of 1.00 mg/L BPA. The metamorphosis rates were also decrease by 20 % and 80 % at concentrations of 0.50 mg/L and 1.00 mg/L BPA. In conclusion, the toxicity of AHTN was greater than that of HHCB to sponge settlement and metamorphosis.

The planktonic shrimp Acetes intermedius is an ecologically and commercially important species. Since it was described by Omori(1975) as a new species, there have been relative few studies focused on the reproduction of this species. The aim of this study is to examine the spawning, egg hatching, larval development of A. intermedius and the related environmental factors. The newly released eggs of Acetes intermedius were round, 200 um in diameter in average, transparent, demersal and were usually green in color. The cleavage pattern of developing egg is holoblastic. Larval stages could be divided into four stages: nauplius, protozea, zoea and postlarva. Nauplius, protozoea and zoea can be further divided into 4, 3 and 2 substages, respectively. At water temperature 30 ¢J and salinity 25 psu, hatching of nauplius was around 10-11 h after spawning while protozoea, zoea and postlarva occurred around 29h, 5-6 and 7 days after spawning, respectively. Newly released eggs were introduced directly into different temperature-salinity combinations. The results revealed that eggs failed to hatch at 15¢J at all salinities tested and at salinities 0 to 10 psu at all temperatures examined. Hatching success started to decrease at salinity 15 psu at 30¢J and at 20 psu at both 25¢J and 20¢J. When salinity was not lower than 25 psu, the hatching success reaches nearly 90 % in average and is generally similar among temperatures tested. Hatching started at about 10, 14 and 28h after spawning at temperatures 30, 25, 20¢J, respectively. At salinity 25 psu, hatching time was the shortest at both 25 and 30¢J, whereas it was similar among salinities at 20¢J. Eggs and nauplii I hatched at 30 ¢J, 30 psu were incubated in the different temperature-salinity combinations. It took eggs incubated at salinities ranging from 20 to 35 psu about 28, 45 h and 5 days to develop into protozoea I at 30, 25 and 20 ¢J, respectively. Nauplii usually started to metamorphose earlier at 25 and 30 psu than at 35 and 20 psu at 25 and 30¢J while no significant trend in metamorphosis time was found among different salinities at 20¢J. Nearly 90% of nauplii metamorphosed into protozoea I at 25 and 30¢J while the metamorphosis rate of nauplii was greatly reduced at 20¢J. The metamorphosis rate was usually higher around 20-25 psu and lower at 15 and 35 psu in all temperatures examined. While spawning, the gravid females swam near the water surface and were rapidly beating pleopods. The eggs were directly released into water. Spawning usually took place at night but the timing is generally peaked around midnight. The gravid females spawned in the early spring before midnight while they spawned after midnight in summer. The spawning timing is delayed at low temperature (24¢J) while it is not affected by high temperature (30¢J). The salinity did not show any effects on spawning but the hatching success of eggs released at 15 and 35 psu was significantly lower than those at 20-30 psu. The gravid females were tended to be endogenous timed to spawn in the night since spawning was not affected by absence of presence of light.

Šiuolaikinio meno pasaulyje vis labiau ryškėja socialinėje atskirtyje atstumtojo, keistuolio personažas, jo būties problema visuomenėje. Daugeliui meno kūrėjų tokių personažų gyvenimo būdo ar paties, kaip asmenybės analizavimas tampa įkvėpimo šaltiniu kūrybai. Metamorfozė mano darbe – žmogaus virsmas atstumtuoju visuomenėje. Ryškėjanti socialinė atskirtis ir socialinių sluoksnių gradacija, taip pat šiandieninėje visuomenėje išskiriama silpnųjų ir atstumtųjų grupė. Šio darbo nagrinėjama problema padeda pastebėti ir išskirti vieną iš aktualiausių šiandieninių temų – kodėl žmogus tampa visuomenės atstumtuoju. Darbo objektas. Trijų tapybos darbų ciklas, paremtas Francio Kafkos novelės „Metamorfozė“ motyvais. Novelė „Metamorfozė“ ir jo herojaus Gregoro Zamsos istorija, mane įkvėpė kūrybai ir tapo pagrindiniu diplominio darbo atspirties tašku. Nesiimu iliustruoti pačios novelės ar kaip nors grupuoti savo darbus suskirstant kūrinį į tam tikrus segmentus, tiesiog ši novelė mane įkvėpia kūrybai, sukelia vidinius jausmus, vaizdinius. / Contemporary art in the world are becoming increasingly apparent in the social exclusion, eccentric character, it being a problem in society. Many artists these characters or the same lifestyle as the analysis of personality is a source of inspiration creation. Metamorphosis of my work – the human transformation in outcast society. Becoming visible social exclusion and social backgrounds, graduation, and identifies weaknesses in today society and outcasts group. This work examines the problem helps detect and identify one of the most pressing issues today - why a person becomes a public outcast. The object: three series of paintings based on the novels of Francis Kafka “Metamorphosis” motives. Work focused on the environment, as well as an existing human being marginalized as the character Gregor bequest identify with the environment. Therefore, my work in the respective places and spots in the line help, with some emphasis on the human body parts. Hands, feet, facial fragments only as a hint indicating that this man abandoned in the environment exists. Earlier consideration of outcasts who live in their created world adapts itself to accept the environment, these two segments are inherent in public.

Unlike many amphibians, the paedomorphic axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) rarely undergoes external morphological changes indicative of metamorphosis. However, internally, some axolotl tissues undergo cryptic metamorphic changes. A previous study examined interspecific patterns of larval brain gene expression and found that these species exhibited unique temporal expression patterns that were hypothesized to be morph specific. This thesis tested this hypothesis by examining differences in brain gene expression between juvenile (JUV), paedomorphic (PAED), and metamorphic (MET) axolotls. I identified 828 genes that were expressed differently between JUV, PAED, and MET. Expression estimates from JUV were compared to estimates from PAED and MET brains to identify genes that changed significantly during development. Genes that showed statistically equivalent expression changes across MET and PAED brains provide a glimpse at aging and maturation in an amphibian. The genes that showed statistically different expression estimates between metamorphic and paedomorphic brains provide new functional insights into the maintenance and regulation of paedomorphosis. For genes that were not commonly regulated due to aging, paedomorphs exhibited greater transcriptional similarity to juvenile than metamorphs did to juvenile. Overall, gene expression differences between metamorphic and paedomorphic development exhibit a mosaic pattern of expression as a function of aging and metamorphosis in axolotls.

Thesis (M.S.)--The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2009. / Directed by Mark Hens; submitted to the Dept. of Biology. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed May 17, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 60-65).

Heavy metals are of great concern when released into the environment, especially at high concentrations. Because of their persistence and toxicity, they have the ability to impact organisms both directly and indirectly via bioaccumulation in the food chain. In this report the effects on aquatic insect composition and abundance as well as possible effects on metamorphosis from larvae to adults were examined in six lakes – three with elevated Zn and Pb concentrations and three reference lakes - situated in Arjeplog municipality. Aquatic larvae and adult aquatic insects were sampled one year apart, and the number of individuals and community composition of both life stages were compared. Contrary to my hypothesis, the results showed no significant differences in abundance, taxa richness or number of individuals in pollution sensitive taxa (EPT) due to contamination. However, the result showed that the effect of contamination on the number of insects is different at different life stages (larval or adult), with fewer adults than expected emerging from contaminated lakes. This is likely explained by detrimental effects, caused by high metal concentrations, obstructing metamorphosis and decreasing emergence success. In this study, the negative effects on emergence could foremost be observed in chironomids (Chironomidae), which was the most abundant insect taxon in both reference and contaminated sites. This leads to the conclusion that including effects on metamorphosis can provide useful insights when assessing effects of a contaminant on the health of freshwater ecosystems.