The diploma thesis Geometric constructions by paper folding is focused on the use of paper folding in teaching mathematics. The main part is formed by worksheets, where the paper folding replaces drawing geometric tasks. For verification and practice of geometrical knowledge additional questions to each construction are added. To simplify and unify approach for developing worksheets constructions of basic axioms which enable to construct all the tasks are described.

This dissertation first addresses various shortcomings in definitions of “applicative” when compared to what is actually found across languages. It then proposes a four-way distinction among applicative constructions, relevant at least to Bantu, a large family of languages spoken in Sub-Saharan Africa. Because of the gradual nature of historical change, differences among construction types may be somewhat graded. In what are called Type A applicative constructions, the applicative morpheme expands the argument structure of its root by introducing an obligatorily present applied phrase. This expansion might result, but need not, in increased syntactic valence of the derived verb stem. Type A includes cases where the applicative on a lexicalized applicative stem still has the ability to introduce an applied phrase. In Type B applicative constructions, the applicative expands the argument structure of its root by introducing an obligatorily present applied phrase and performs other semantic/pragmatic functions on the applied phrase or on the whole clause (e.g. the applied phrase becomes the narrow-focused constituent in the clause). As in Type A, syntactic valence might be increased, but need not be. In Type C applicative constructions, the applicative does not introduce an applied phrase. Instead, it provides semantic nuances to the lexical meaning of its root (e.g. the action described by the root is performed to completion, repetitively, in excess, etc.). Unlike Type A and Type B, Type C constructions are not fully productive and may undergo lexicalization. Fourthly, in Pseudo-applicative constructions, the applicative morpheme found on a lexicalized stem does not introduce an applied phrase and does not perform semantic and/or pragmatic functions described for Type B and Type C. Because the last type, especially, has not been acknowledged in prior literature, the dissertation presents a historically informed case study of 78 pseudo-applicative forms in Tswana (S31), a southern Bantu language spoken in Botswana and South Africa. Finally, this study argues that both the synchronic functions of the Bantu applicative suffix *-ɪd and the lexicalization paths emerging from the study of Tswana pseudo-applicative forms support an original Location/Goal function of *-ɪd in Proto-Bantu, rather than an original Beneficiary function.

The aim of this thesis is to involve word order tendencies of impersonal constructions in modern Spanish. The paper is divided into a theoretical and a practical part. In the theoretical one there is characteristics and a list of basic configurations of impersonal constructions, followed by the analysis which concerns how to make the syntactic impersonal constructions. The part is ended with the conception of term {\clqq}word order``, especially the word order in Spanish. The practical part is focused on the results of the analysis concerning word order variation of chosen types of configurations. The pattern words were analysed by means of synchronic corpus CREA and the permutations of word order were identified. Conclusions of the analysis serve for definition of tendencies in Spanish word order, especially for clarification whether Spanish disposes of free word order, and for confirmation of the hypothesis that the word order in Spanish is resticted to a great extent.

Abstract Almost all the Finnish buildings were log constructed up to the beginning of the 20th century. Among these buildings one can see the finest expressions of Finnish wood architecture. Unfortunately, the tradition of the original and fascinating Finnish log architecture was broken in the beginning of the 20th century. At the same time a lot of knowledge and skills connected to log constructing were lost. In order to be able to continue the tradition of log architecture, more research work needs to be done. The rules that log constructions set to the architecture are still poorly known. Finnish State Railways was the most notable public builder in Finland in the end of the 1900s and constructed more than 4000 log buildings between years 1860–1950. Very high quality demands were set on the railway buildings and all the builders were highly experienced professionals. When studying traditional, professionally built log constructions, the railway stations are unique research subjects. In this thesis the log frames, structures and joints of 30 railway stations were documented. The main aim with the research was to find out how log structures affect the architectural form of the railway stations. As the results of the research it can be stated that in the architecture of the railway stations there are several factors which depend on log structures and which have had a powerful influence on the architectural form of railway stations and, thus, have created an identifiable building type for log stations. Due to the log and cross logging techniques, the most natural form of a log frame is a rectangular box, the height of which is the same everywhere and in which the openings obey certain rules. The rectangular box shape is so dominating in the railway stations that, on the basis of the log frame only, it is very difficult to place them to a certain architectural era or to categorize them according to a certain architectural style. The architectural originality has been created by different kinds of roof shapes, parting of the windows, sidings, decorations, porches and lean-to roofs. According to the data gathered from the railway stations, the architectural form of a log frame must be submitted to the rules of the log structure. Thus, the materialistic characteristics, the cross logging technique and the strength of the log structures are the factors that determine the ground plan, the masses and the openings of log buildings. Log as a construction material creates natural, small and simple buildings with undisturbed and balanced openings. The development work to be done on the basis of the rules of log structures can most naturally take place amongst handicraftsmen. The development of traditional log building still needs more research on historical building types, log joints and on the technical functioning of the log structures. / Tiivistelmä 1900-luvun alkuun saakka lähes kaikki maamme rakennukset olivat hirsirunkoisia. Näiden rakennusten joukosta löytyvät puuarkkitehtuurimme merkittävimmät saavutukset. Omintakeisen ja kiehtovan suomalaisen hirsiarkkitehtuurin perinne katkesi 1900-luvun alkupuolella. Samalla kadotettiin suuri joukko hirsirakentamiseen liittyvää tietoa ja taitoa. Perinnettä jatkavan hirsiarkkitehtuurin kehittymisen esteenä on tiedon puute. Emme tarkalleen tiedä, mitä sääntöjä perinteistä arkkitehtuuria ohjannut hirsirakenne asettaa arkkitehtoniselle muodonannolle. Valtion rautatiet oli maamme merkittävin julkinen rakentaja 1800-luvun loppupuolella ja rakensi vuosien 1860–1950 aikana yli 4 000 hirsirakennusta. Rakennuksille oli asetettu korkeat laatuvaatimukset, ja niiden rakentajina toimivat kokeneet ammattilaiset. Asemarakennukset ovat ainutlaatuinen kohde tutkittaessa perinteistä ammattimaista hirsirakentamista. Tutkimuksessa dokumentoitiin 30 asemarakennuksen hirsirunko, -rakenteet ja -liitokset. Dokumentointiaineiston pohjalta selvitettiin, miten hirsirakenteet ovat säädelleet asemarakennusten arkkitehtonista muodonantoa. Tutkimuksen tuloksena pystytään osoittamaan, että asemarakennuksissa on joukko hirsirakenteista johtuvia tekijöitä, jotka ovat merkittävästi vaikuttaneet rakennusten arkkitehtoniseen muodonantoon ja luoneet oman tunnistettavan hirsirunkoisten asemien rakennustyypin. Hirrestä ja lamasalvostekniikasta johtuvien tekijöiden vaikutuksesta hirsirungon luonnollinen muoto on tasakorkea suorakulmainen laatikko, jonka aukottamiseen on olemassa tiettyjä sääntöjä. Asemarakennuksissa on hirsirungon pelkistetty laatikkomuoto niin hallitseva, että rakennuksia on pelkän hirsirungon perusteella erittäin vaikeaa ajoittaa eri aikakausille tai luokittaa tiettyihin arkkitehtonisiin tyylikausiin. Rakennusten arkkitehtoninen yksilöllisyys on toteutettu vesikaton muodoilla, ikkunoiden jakopuitteilla, ulkoverhouksen struktuurilla, koristeaiheilla sekä keveillä kuisteilla ja katoksilla. Asemarakennuksista saadun tiedon mukaan hirsirungon muoto tulee alistaa hirsirakenteen ehtojen mukaiseksi. Täten rakennuksen pohjakaavaa, massoittelua ja aukotusta säätelevät hirren materiaaliominaisuudet, käytetty liitostekniikka ja hirsirakenteen lujuus. Hirrestä syntyy luonnollisesti pieniä, yksinkertaisia rakennuksia, joiden aukotus on rauhallista. Hirsirakenteen ehtojen pohjalta tapahtuva kehitystyö on luontevinta käsinveistotuotantotavan piirissä. Perinnettä jatkavan hirsiarkkitehtuurin kehittyminen vaatii vielä lisää tutkimusta historiallisista rakennustyypeistä, hirsiliitoksista ja hirsirakenteen teknisestä toiminnasta.

This study identifies two syntactically distinguishable types of Serial Verb Constructions (SVCs) in Mandarin Chinese (MC) and Jinjiang Southern Min (JSM), corresponding to the nuclear and core distinction made in Role and Reference Grammar (Foley and Van Valin 1984, Foley and Olson 1985, Van Valin and LaPolla 1997). This distinction is also made on the basis of a general consensus of the cross-linguistic classifications of the processes of monoclausal multi-verb construction formation (e.g., Butt 1993, 1997, Baker and Harvey 2010): namely, predicate fusion and argument fusion. In this study, I propose two sets of diagnostics to establish the distinction; these go beyond the range covered in previous studies (e.g., Olson 1981, Foley and Olson 1985, Crowley 2002, Chang 2007). In the first set of diagnostics in this study, seven inter-clausal diagnostics are considered as the threshold where the behaviours of bi-clausal structures and SVCs split. These diagnostics include independent negation, passivisation of the object of V2, independent modification by temporal adverbial, independent marking of viewpoint aspect, independent modification by manner adverbial, prosodic structure and the Coordinate Structure Constraint (Ross 1967) that is employed in a more restricted manner. In the second set of diagnostics, four intra-clausal diagnostics are adopted to make the distinction between nuclear and core SVCs, which include passivisation of O1, insertion of intervening material, coordination within the SVC, and obligatory topicalisation of undergoer argument. Of particular interest is the possibility that the same string of verbs may occur in superficially similar, but structurally different, SVCs: for example, the Cause-Effect SVC and the Excessive SVC. The diagnostics employed in this study are proposed as a novel method to establish the distinction between the SVCs and the bi-clausal structures, and more importantly, between core and nuclear types of SVC. Contributing to the originality of the new method of diagnosing the status of the SVCs proposed in this study, I add five novel diagnostics, such as passivisation of the object of V2, independent marking of viewpoint aspect, tone sandhi between adjacent verbs, coordination within the SVC and obligatory topicalisation of the undergoer argument, in addition to those that have been employed in the literature. I restrict myself to data of MC and JSM in discussing the rationale of the diagnostics. However, this novel method of identifying SVCs is expected to be cross-linguistically applicable with consistent results, while at the same time allowing for the possibility of cross-linguistic differences in the semantic sub-types of SVCs identified in each language.

In this multi-case qualitative research study I explored the beliefs and practices of selected Tanzanian pre-primary educators, with regard to the role of play in early years education. The purpose was to gain insights into how the educators conceptualize play, understand its contribution to development, and if and how they incorporate it into their teaching/learning activities. Factors influencing their beliefs about play also were investigated. The study helps address an imbalance in the professional knowledge base in Early Childhood Education by providing research about play from a non-Western context. Fifteen interviews were conducted with three head and five pre-primary teachers from four schools. Observations (a total of 240 minutes at each school) were made to establish the presence of play and playful behaviour, with selected sessions video-recorded. Video clips, used to aid recall of, and reflection on, teaching practices and activities supported the teachers’ interviews. Information from observations and curricular document reviews was used to enrich the findings from interviews. Data were thematically coded and Fleer’s (2002) three sociocultural planes (personal, interpersonal, and community) used to analyze the influences on participants’ beliefs and practices. Findings indicate that play is primarily understood to consist of enjoyable physical activities which teachers can exploit to motivate/activate children before and during lessons, but such play was not seen to contribute directly to the cognitive/academic development education is expected to enhance. Large class size, parents’ demands for written work, curriculum requirements and teachers’ limited competence were found to impede provision for play in the classroom. Implications and recommendations for contextually appropriate policy, curriculum, and pre-primary teacher education programs are outlined. The need for expansion of traditional notions of play and its role in education, as well as the use of traditional games and culturally meaningful materials in the curriculum are highlighted. / Graduate

The research portrayed in this dissertation aims to derive empirical means of predicting CBR values from index testing parameters and parameters calculated from them (e.g. shrinkage product). The project involved compiling a database of test results for a range of rock material types across moist and dry regions in southern Africa. The database was compiled in such a way that it represents natural gravels sampled (mostly) for construction or rehabilitation of road layer works. The database included a location description, material description, Weinert N-Value, Atterberg Limits, grading analysis and CBR values. In addition to this, the linear shrinkage product, shrinkage product, grading coefficient, grading modulus and dust ratio were calculated and also used in the analyses. All the samples were divided into two groups based on climate, as described by Weinert (1980). The data was then further sub-divided into compaction classes (95%, 98% and 100% Mod AASHTO) and within these compaction classes, each sample was assigned to a rock material group based on the classification proposed by Weinert (1980), but with minor alterations (e.g. further subdivision of pedogenic deposits). A total of 60 groups were created. Data processing was done using grading normalised to 100% passing the 37,5mm screen. In order to limit interdependency resulting from the cumulative grading, the sieve analysis results were converted to percentages retained on each sieve. This was necessary as statistical regressions often rejected datasets due to interdependency among input parameters (such as Atterberg Limits and cumulative grading). Based on the nature of the data, both stepwise linear regressions and Weibull regressions were performed. Though the Weibull regression is more suitable to the data (in theory) the linear regression could not be excluded, due to variable data. In addition, the existing model proposed by Kleyn (1955) which was derived empirically by Stephens (1988) was also retained for the analysis. In an attempt to refine Kleyn s model, the two parameters used by the method (i.e. grading modulus and plasticity index) were used in normal linear regressions in an attempt to adapt the model to specific material (and compaction) groups in the two climatic regions. More than 130 regressions were done for the final analysis (excluding experimental regressions, etc.), after restricting the predicted CBR ranges in an attempt to eliminate the prevailing data trend. The attempt proved futile, though, placing severe restrictions on the derived models. For each of the 60 groups all four methods were tested (i.e. stepwise linear regression, Weibull regression, Kleyn s model and a linear model adapted for each group based on Kleyn s model) and the most suitable model selected. A number of regressions were incomplete due to insufficient data, particularly in the groups associated with dry regions. Results proved poor and are ascribed to data variability rather than test methods. The data variability, in turn, is the result of test methods with poor reproducibility and repeatability. In short, the test methods (the CBR in particular) resulted in inconsistent data and subsequently poor results, making accurate predictions nearly impossible. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Geology / unrestricted

Cette étude qualitative a pour objectif d’explorer les constructions discursives de la santé, de l’obésité et du corps de jeunes femmes vivant en situation de handicap visuel. Il s’agit, entre autre, d’obtenir des données empiriques afin de développer une meilleure compréhension de la manière dont ces jeunes femmes se sentent interpellées et se positionnent au sein du discours dominant de l’obésité et/ou de discours corporels alternatifs. Des « entre-vues » ont été réalisées auprès de 20 jeunes femmes vivant en situation de handicap visuel, provenant du Québec et de l’Ontario. Les récits des jeunes femmes ont été enregistrés, transcrits et par la suite analysés par le biais d’une analyse du discours guidée par la théorie féministe poststructuraliste. Les résultats sont présentés sous la forme de trois articles. Le premier article porte sur les constructions discursives de la santé des jeunes femmes vivant en situation de handicap visuel, le deuxième article présente les constructions discursives de l’obésité des participantes et finalement, le troisième article expose les manières dont ces jeunes femmes construisent de manière discursive le « corps sain » et s’engagent dans des pratiques de santé normalisantes afin d’atteindre ce « corps sain ». De manière générale, les résultats de l’analyse thématique suggèrent que le handicap de nature visuel n’empêche pas les jeunes femmes de « visualiser » les images corporelles et les « corps gros » ainsi que de construire la santé en termes strictement corporels et comme étant de responsabilité individuelle via l’adoption de pratiques disciplinaires. L’analyse poststructuraliste a permis d’observer les positions multiples et fluides que les jeunes femmes adoptent en tant que « sujets » : à certains moments en tant que sujets néolibéraux, reproduisant sans questionner les éléments de différents discours patriarcaux dominants (i.e., obésité, responsabilité personnelle et morale envers la santé, féminité et capacitisme) mais à d’autres moments en tant que sujets « poststructuralistes » capables d’apporter un regard critique sur les discours dominants et ainsi de reconstruire la notion de santé, d’obésité et de corps sain autrement et de manière moins oppressive.

This dissertation examines the interplay of Situation Aspect and Viewpoint Aspect in two classes of constructions in Polish: i) anticausatives with and without Dative subjects, ex. (Jankowi) złamały się okulary John broke the glasses involuntarily / The glasses broke; and ii) Factual Imperfectives, ex. Jadłam obiad I have eaten my dinner. With the first type of construction, the concern is why the unintentional causer reading is obtainable only in telic contexts and how two classes of Polish anticausatives – one with prefixed verbs and one with unprefixed verbs – differ structurally. The question that arises with analyses of Factual Imperfective constructions (FIs) is about the untypical role of imperfective aspect: how is it possible that the imperfective morphemes that the Slavic literature (almost) unanimously pairs with English Progressives do not neutralize telicity as the Progressive does? The dissertation finds evidence supporting the view that Slavic lexical prefixes are telicity markers and secondary predicates (cf. Svenonius 2004, Žaucer 2009). It argues that imperfectives that lack any aspectual morpheme and have the accusative case assigned to a direct object, nonetheless possess a non-overt aspectual operator located in the domain of Viewpoint Aspect. The dissertation enriches the recent discussions concerned with the puzzle of how to account for various readings of the imperfective (Cipria & Roberts 2000, Hacquard 2006, Deo 2009) by providing a semantic analysis of an interpretation not attested in languages like French, Italian and Spanish on which the discussions have focused so far. I argue that the Russian and Polish patterns dubbed as Existential Factual Imperfectives (cf. Grønn 2003) carry a silent Epistemic Modal that selects the imperfective due to its right semantic type: <s,t> in contrast to the <t> type of the perfective. From a cross-linguistic perspective, this study is relevant for syntactic and semantic theories of aspect in natural language especially for the theory of imperfectivity. From a language specific perspective, this study aims to provide a deeper understanding of the particular aspect-related conditions that play a role in licensing oblique (Dative) causers in Polish.

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