Semiotic dynamics and computational evolutionary musicology literature investigate emergence and evolution of linguistic and musical conventions by using computational multi-agent complex adaptive system models. This thesis proposes a new computational evolutionary musicology model, by altering previous models of familiarity based musical interactions that try to capture evolution of songs as a co-evolutionary process through mate selection. The proposed modified familiarity game models a closed community of agents, where individuals of the society interact with each other just by using their musical expectations. With this novel methodology, it is found that constituent agents can form a musical agreement by agreeing on a shared bi-gram musical expectation scheme. This convergence is attained in a self-organizing fashion and throughout this process significant usage of n-gram melodic lines become observable. Furthermore, modified familiarity game dynamics are investigated and it is concluded that convergence trends are dependent on simulation parameters.

No description available.

Effect of soil moisture potential (?), temperature (T), genotype, seeding depth (SD) and rate (SR) on seedling emergence (SE), emergence velocity (EV), root yield and grades of cut and peel carrots were studied. SE was reduced at –120 kPa and totally inhibited at -156 kPa. EV was the lowest at – 5 kPa and – 90 kPa. SE was delayed by 33 d at 5°C, reduced at 30°C and totally inhibited at 35 and 40 °C. Heat units 99.75 and 159.60°Cd were the lowest to initiate and complete SE respectively while the optimum was 300 – 350 °Cd. There was no interaction effect between ? and T on SE. Honey snax at 85 seeds/ 30 cm showed the best SE whereas, Triton recorded the highest total yield at 2.54 cm SD and Fancy yield at 85 seeds/ 30 cm implying certain crop ecological and management factors can influence SE, root yield and quality.

Reproduction is a critical period of salmonid fish life history. As early life stages are particularly sensitive to biotic and abiotic constraints, studying these stages in terms of survival is essential in salmonid population ecology, stocks management, conservation and restoration. No characterization of salmonids spawning habitats on scientific basis has been made to date in Eastern Baltic region, which rivers are important for salmonid reproduction and significantly contribute to the sea trout and salmon stocks in the Baltic. The aim of this work was to assess sea trout spawning sites characteristics and to estimate its effects on reproductive success in a typical lowland salmonid stream – Blendžiava. The spawning site selection by sea trout females and characteristics of spawning sites at different spatial scales were determined, spawning nests sedimentary, hydraulic, and water physico-chemical characteristics were assessed. To test how the spawning site selection influence reproductive success, in situ experiment on survival of sea trout eggs, study on fry emergence from natural redds and on dispersal of juveniles after emergence were accomplished. Additionally, the study on reproductive interaction between sympatric lampreys and salmonids was conducted. Study results revealed, that sea trout has specific spawning site preferences at the stream-, reach- and microhabitat scale, and are related with optimal conditions for egg survival. Vertical hydraulic gradient of... [to full text] / Reprodukcija yra kritinis lašišinių žuvų gyvenimo momentas. Kadangi ankstyvosios vystymosi stadijos yra ypač jautrios biotiniams ir abiotiniams veiksniams, šių stadijų tyrimai yra esminiai lašišinių žuvų populiacijos ekologijai, valdant, apsaugant ir atstatant išteklius. Tačiau mokslinių lašišinių žuvų reprodukcijos tyrimų iki šiol nebuvo atlikta Rytų Baltijos regione, kurio upės yra svarbios lašišinių žuvų reprodukcijai ir jų ištekliams Baltijos jūroje. Šio darbo tikslas buvo nustatyti šlakių neršto vietos pasirinkimo dėsningumus, naudojamų nerštaviečių charakteristikas ir įvertinti jų įtaką reprodukcijos efektyvumui tipiškoje lašišinėje lygumų upėje Vakarų Lietuvoje Blendžiavoje. Darbe buvo vertintas šlakių neršto vietų pasirinkimas ir charakteristikos skirtingo erdvinio mastelio buveinėse, nustatytos neršto lizdų substrato, hidraulinės ir porinio vandens fizikocheminės charakteristikos. Kad nustatyti, kaip lizdų charakteristikos įtakoja reprodukcijos efektyvumą, buvo atlikti šlakių ikrų inkubacijos in situ eksperimentai, mailiaus ritimosi iš natūralių lizdų ir pasklidimo iš nerštaviečių po upelį tyrimai. Taip pat buvo atlikta speciali studija, kad įvertinti lašišinių žuvų ir nėgių reprodukcinę sąveiką simpatrinėmis sąlygomis. Tyrimų rezultatai parodė, kad šlakiai turi specifinius reikalavimus neršto vietai upelio, vagos geomorfologijos ir mikrobuveinės mastu, ir yra susiję su optimaliomis palikuonių išgyvenimo sąlygomis. Vertikalusis hidraulinis gradientas buvo esminis... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Reprodukcija yra kritinis lašišinių žuvų gyvenimo momentas. Kadangi ankstyvosios vystymosi stadijos yra ypač jautrios biotiniams ir abiotiniams veiksniams, šių stadijų tyrimai yra esminiai lašišinių žuvų populiacijos ekologijai, valdant, apsaugant ir atstatant išteklius. Tačiau mokslinių lašišinių žuvų reprodukcijos tyrimų iki šiol nebuvo atlikta Rytų Baltijos regione, kurio upės yra svarbios lašišinių žuvų reprodukcijai ir jų ištekliams Baltijos jūroje. Šio darbo tikslas buvo nustatyti šlakių neršto vietos pasirinkimo dėsningumus, naudojamų nerštaviečių charakteristikas ir įvertinti jų įtaką reprodukcijos efektyvumui tipiškoje lašišinėje lygumų upėje Vakarų Lietuvoje Blendžiavoje. Darbe buvo vertintas šlakių neršto vietų pasirinkimas ir charakteristikos skirtingo erdvinio mastelio buveinėse, nustatytos neršto lizdų substrato, hidraulinės ir porinio vandens fizikocheminės charakteristikos. Kad nustatyti, kaip lizdų charakteristikos įtakoja reprodukcijos efektyvumą, buvo atlikti šlakių ikrų inkubacijos in situ eksperimentai, mailiaus ritimosi iš natūralių lizdų ir pasklidimo iš nerštaviečių po upelį tyrimai. Taip pat buvo atlikta speciali studija, kad įvertinti lašišinių žuvų ir nėgių reprodukcinę sąveiką simpatrinėmis sąlygomis. Tyrimų rezultatai parodė, kad šlakiai turi specifinius reikalavimus neršto vietai upelio, vagos geomorfologijos ir mikrobuveinės mastu, ir yra susiję su optimaliomis palikuonių išgyvenimo sąlygomis. Vertikalusis hidraulinis gradientas buvo esminis... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Reproduction is a critical period of salmonid fish life history. As early life stages are particularly sensitive to biotic and abiotic constraints, studying these stages in terms of survival is essential in salmonid population ecology, stocks management, conservation and restoration. No characterization of salmonids spawning habitats on scientific basis has been made to date in Eastern Baltic region, which rivers are important for salmonid reproduction and significantly contribute to the sea trout and salmon stocks in the Baltic. The aim of this work was to assess sea trout spawning sites characteristics and to estimate its effects on reproductive success in a typical lowland salmonid stream – Blendžiava. The spawning site selection by sea trout females and characteristics of spawning sites at different spatial scales were determined, spawning nests sedimentary, hydraulic, and water physico-chemical characteristics were assessed. To test how the spawning site selection influence reproductive success, in situ experiment on survival of sea trout eggs, study on fry emergence from natural redds and on dispersal of juveniles after emergence were accomplished. Additionally, the study on reproductive interaction between sympatric lampreys and salmonids was conducted. Study results revealed, that sea trout has specific spawning site preferences at the stream-, reach- and microhabitat scale, and are related with optimal conditions for egg survival. Vertical hydraulic gradient of... [to full text]

Sociological explanations for human conduct usually place major ontological and epistemological emphasis upon either discursive or material relations without ever establishing or adequately specifying the validity of this dichotomy. Early texts by the Critical Realist philosopher Roy Bhaskar address this forced separation by creating an integrated ontological and epistemological field that provides a more detailed and precise theoretical ordering to agents, objects, and entities. Undertaking a developmental critique of Bhaskar’s arguments, this thesis extends Critical Realism’s role as theoretical ‘underlabourer’ and creates an expanded theoretical framework that balances discursive and material accounts. Utilising the sophisticated analyses of the structure and operation of discourses found in the work of Michel Foucault alongside the innovative arguments for aleatory materialism developed by Louis Althusser, a critique is established that shows discursive, material, and social relations to be complex, immanent, and, importantly, mutually constitutive. In each theory three core concepts of events, emergence, and the extra-discursive are shown to not only be present but also to operate as the main means of explaining social change. The result of integrating Critical Realism, Foucault, and Althusser in this sympathetic but non-syncretic form is the generation of a non-reductionist materialism combined with discursive relations. On this basis, social change is shown to be the result of restructured discursive and material relations of which human agents are only one part. The thesis provides an illustration of the theoretical argument with an empirical component which examines the formation and decline of the British nuclear industry between its inception in the early 1950s to the year 2000. The conclusion is that the form taken by nuclear energy is not entirely determined by any single one of political, economic, or scientific forces but is, instead, the product of multiple and complex interactions of immanent discursive and material relations that are, importantly, mutually reinforcing. / Thesis (Ph.D, Sociology) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-27 12:38:25.909

<p>Abstract</p><p>This study investigates variable past tense marking patterns in an emerging variety of N.C. Hispanic English (n=44) spoken by language learners at three Length of Residency (LOR) groups in three schools in Durham, NC in terms of 1. lexical semantics (Andersen & Shirai 1996, Bayley 1999), 2. frequency (Guy & Erker 2012) 3. discourse structure (Bardovi-Harlig 1998) and 4. verb class and phonological environment (Wolfram 1985, Bayley 1994). Statistical results show significant effects of verb class, lexical aspect, and frequency and interacting effects of verb class and frequency (specifically, suppletives like copula are simultaneously highly frequent and highly phonetically salient). A subsample coded for the discourse factor shows some evidence for the correlation of copula and backgrounding function. A separate analysis of consonant cluster reduction patterns (CCR) demonstrates dialect acquisition of variable constraints (e.g. in terms of N.C. AAVE), namely phonological environment (_C > _V) and morphemic status (monomorpheme > bimorpheme). Pedagogical applications are discussed, including accurately identifying English Language Learners (ELLs) in the context of local/regional accommodation.</p> / Dissertation

Pasture plants already adapted to acidic soil conditions are required as part of an integrated approach (with lime amelioration) to managing acid soils on the Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. The objective of this thesis is to evaluate the usefulness of Austrodanthonia species for this purpose. The material evaluated in this study was collected during a previous survey of the distribution of Austrodanthonia on the Central, Southern and Monaro Tablelands of New South Wales. It was hypothesised that the genus Austrodanthonia has a wide range of tolerance to acid soils. A series of experiments that provided information on the growth and physiology of Austrodanthonia in relation to soil acidity, with a view to the identification and eventual domestication of the most promising plant material have been conducted through pot, hydroponics and field investigations. Firstly, soils were acidified or limed to obtain a range of soil pH and Al concentrations. This experiment showed that adding aluminium sulfate and calcium carbonate followed by washing excess salts with water is a simple, rapid and convenient method for adjusting soil pH for pot experiments. The pH of the amended soils remained relatively unchanged eight months after treatment. The experimental set-up also resulted in a wide range of soluble Al (2-52 mg/kg) across the soils. The relative Al-tolerance of 183 accessions from 15 Austrodanthonia species was tested in a pot experiment using a range of soil pH. Emergence, survival and growth of all accessions were drastically reduced by high soil acidity (pH 3.9, P < 0.001). About 11% of plants emerged at pH 3.9, whereas at pH 4.4 and 5.3, ~72% of plants emerged. Accessions exhibited large variation within and between species in their tolerance to soil acidity. From the species/accessions tested, 49 accessions from eight species were selected for further study (on the basis of being more acid tolerant). Hydroponic experiments conducted in the glasshouse evaluated: (i) formulation of nutrient solution with a stable pH, (ii) effectiveness of the formulation using tap water and deionised water and (iii) estimation of free ion activities of Al and Mn in the nutrient solution and their effects on Austrodanthonia growth. These experiments showed that a NO3-N/NH4-N ratio of 9:4 is the most appropriate ratio to obtain a stable pH 4.0 without affecting plant growth; that there was little difference between tap water and deionised water on the ionic effects of Al and Mn, and plant-size did not play a role on accession survival and that accessions of Austrodanthonia could grow well within a wide range of pH (3.5-5.5), Al (50-250 �M) and Mn (100-2000 �M). Growth of Austrodanthonia accessions declined under high acidity (pH < 3.5) and Al (300 �M), but tolerated high concentrations of Mn (2000 �M). Root-tips stained with hematoxylin grouped accessions in a similar way to the pot and hydroponic experiments for most of the accessions tested. The intensity of root staining with hematoxylin and the differential distribution of Al in the shoots and roots provided an indication that different tolerance mechanisms may be involved with Austrodanthonia accessions. It appears that both exclusion and internal mechanisms may operate for Al- and Mn-tolerance. A field experiment was conducted at Carcoar (33037�S, 149013�E, elevation 800 m) using gradients in soil pH and Al available on-site to grow selected accessions of Austrodanthonia. The accessions exhibited a range of responses to soil acidity. The accession responses to acidity from the pot and hydroponic experiments were similar to those obtained in the field, especially where Al was present as a low Al-challenge. Overall, this study shows that Austrodanthonia exhibits a wide range of acid tolerance between species and accessions within species. Among the species tested, A. duttoniana and A. fulva appeared to have the greatest commercial potential, because of their productivity and acid tolerance. The variability that exists in the accessions may be exploitable in breeding and selection programs for improved cultivars.

Projects and programmes are inherently complex; the interaction of people, systems, processes and data within a dynamic environment creates an intricate network of agents whose behaviour can be unpredictable and unexpected. The management of this complexity is ordinarily concerned with the implementation of tools and techniques to ensure that projects are completed within the desired cost and time, at the agreed level of performance and quality – this is often referred to as the †̃iron triangleâ€TM. However, the impact of a dynamic external environment on the †̃softâ€TM boundaries of the project domain can lead to extreme difficulty in attempting to forecast or predict outcomes and system behaviours. This thesis contends that there is a clear desideratum for a new paradigm in project management practice and research that moves beyond the traditionalist (reductionist) approach to one that embraces, rather than attempts to simplify complexity. The research described in this thesis seeks to uncover the characteristics of complexity, in the context of projects and programmes, in an attempt to uncover if complexity is a factor in the determination of †̃valuableâ€TM outcomes. Subsequently, and through the theoretical lens of complexity theory, this research seeks to highlight the importance of our understanding and treatment of complexity in the execution and management of projects and programmes. The research further seeks to demonstrate how complexity thinking may inform a more sophisticated understanding of how projects, programmes and portfolios delivered successfully (Ziadat, 2017). The context of the research is the oil and gas (O & G) engineering sector in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A two stage qualitative and quantitative methodology is applied, based on deductive reasoning. The first stage involves the development of a questionnaire and a series of unstructured interviews to gain an understanding of the practical consideration that emerges from the literature review. The second stage of the research involves the application of meta-analysis to study the correlation between the complexity factors identified in the first stage, aiming for heterogeneity, identification of patterns and directing to achieve robust conclusions by using sensitivity analysis. The thesis proposes a new model of complexity factors for oil & gas engineering projects in the MENA region. The model is designed to facilitate the analysis of the project complexity landscape and to define requirements for oil & gas organisations involved with the delivery of projects and programmes to cope with different complexity factors within and across the MENA region. The outcomes include substantial relationship between technical and health, safety & environment complexity factors and project performance despite the mediation of project management complexity factors, yet the organizational complexity factors can be observed at a significant level when project management in complexity factors are considered as a mediator in the model (Ziadat, 2016).

Submitted by Patricia Figuti Venturini (pfiguti@anhembi.br) on 2018-08-20T19:01:00Z No. of bitstreams: 1 449037.pdf: 5977234 bytes, checksum: 62769081b2ec075baad72bc603f714dd (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Patricia Figuti Venturini (pfiguti@anhembi.br) on 2018-08-20T20:25:35Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 449037.pdf: 5977234 bytes, checksum: 62769081b2ec075baad72bc603f714dd (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Patricia Figuti Venturini (pfiguti@anhembi.br) on 2018-08-20T20:27:25Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 449037.pdf: 5977234 bytes, checksum: 62769081b2ec075baad72bc603f714dd (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T13:38:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 449037.pdf: 5977234 bytes, checksum: 62769081b2ec075baad72bc603f714dd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-02 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Games are propitious environments for the appearing of new behavior patterns (emergence). It’s necessary to comprehend the nature of these changes taking into account demands and their modifying potential on this process. To support this trajectory, concepts of emergence were presented back from classical sciences to contemporary studies which touch metadesign and game design. This dissertation aims to investigate the phenomenon of emergence in digital games, encompassing the utilization of projective resources that can increase the interactivity and potentiate this process. The research involves literature review, articulation of concepts of complex adaptive system (CAS), emergence incidence in game design and the analysis of three selected objects: Tibia, PokemonGO and The Sims. The perspectives of metadesign usage and artificial intelligence are highlighted as propeller resources of new behaviors. The context, phenomenon and tool relation is discussed concerning: complex adaptive systems, emergence and artificial intelligence. This dissertation concludes that the usage of methodologies which incorporate metadesign and the gamer as codesigner are more appropriate when dealing with the emergent character of games. Furthermore, the use of artificial intelligences expands the possibilities of interaction in the game, multiplying the number of active agents in the system. / Jogos são ambientes propícios ao surgimento de novos padrões de comportamento (emergência). Faz-se necessário compreender a natureza dessas mudanças observando-se as demandas e seu potencial modificador nesse processo. Para embasar esta trajetória foram apresentados conceitos de emergência desde as ciências clássicas até estudos contemporâneos que tangenciam o metadesign e o design de jogos. Esta dissertação tem o objetivo de investigar o fenômeno da emergência nos jogos digitais, abordando a utilização de recursos projetuais que possam aumentar a interatividade e potencializar esse processo. A pesquisa envolve revisão bibliográfica, articulação dos conceitos de sistemas complexos adaptativos (SCA), incidência de emergência no design de games e a análise de três objetos selecionados: Tibia, PokemonGo e The Sims. Destacam-se as perspectivas de uso de metadesign e inteligência artificial como recursos propulsores de novos comportamentos. Discute-se a relação contexto, fenômeno e ferramenta como: sistemas complexos adaptativos, emergência e inteligência artificial. Conclui-se que o uso de metodologias que incorporam metadesign e o jogador como codesigner são mais adequadas para lidar com o caráter emergente dos jogos. Além disso, o uso de inteligências artificiais amplia as possibilidades de interação no jogo, multiplicando a quantidade de agentes ativos no sistema.