This doctoral thesis explores the question of how much people’s ability to reflect on another person’s intentions and perspectives contributes to their success in understanding language, and further how children acquire these communication skills during development. This aim is achieved by focusing on a specific linguistic phenomenon, scalar implicatures, by which listeners enrich the meaning of a given utterance to implicate more than what is explicitly said. Such implicatures arise when a speaker uses a less informative term, such as “some”, when a more informative term like “all” is also available, thus leading the listener to the conclusion that the more informative alternative must be false. For instance, if a speaker says that some of her friends are curly, the listener will enrich the statement and assume that not all of them are. The first part of the thesis is focused on scalar implicature derivation during adulthood, to delineate the role of understanding communicative intention and reasoning about people’s epistemic state in the derivation process. The second part of the thesis investigates theoretical and methodological aspects of the acquisition of scalar implicatures, both through reviews of the literature and experimental studies investigating the role of inhibitory control, intention-reading and perspective-taking in implicature derivation between the ages of 2 and 17.

<p>The usage of automatic fingerprint identification systems as a means of identification and/or verification have increased substantially during the last couple of years. It is well known that small deviations may occur within a fingerprint over time, a problem referred to as template ageing. This problem, and other reasons for deviations between two images of the same fingerprint, complicates the identification/verification process, since distinct features may appear somewhat different in the two images that are matched. Commonly used to try and minimise this type of problem are different kinds of fingerprint image enhancement algorithms. This thesis tests different methods within the scale-space framework and evaluate their performance as fingerprint image enhancement methods. </p><p>The methods tested within this thesis ranges from linear scale-space filtering, where no prior information about the images is known, to scalar and tensor driven diffusion where analysis of the images precedes and controls the diffusion process. </p><p>The linear scale-space approach is shown to improve correlation values, which was anticipated since the image structure is flattened at coarser scales. There is however no increase in the number of accurate matches, since inaccurate features also tends to get higher correlation value at large scales. </p><p>The nonlinear isotropic scale-space (scalar dependent diffusion), or the edge- preservation, approach is proven to be an ill fit method for fingerprint image enhancement. This is due to the fact that the analysis of edges may be unreliable, since edge structure is often distorted in fingerprints affected by the template ageing problem. </p><p>The nonlinear anisotropic scale-space (tensor dependent diffusion), or coherence-enhancing, method does not give any overall improvements of the number of accurate matches. It is however shown that for a certain type of template ageing problem, where the deviating structure does not significantly affect the ridge orientation, the nonlinear anisotropic diffusion is able to accurately match correlation pairs that resulted in a false match before they were enhanced.</p>

Large-eddy simulation (LES) and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) calculations have been performed to investigate the effects of different mathematical models for scalar variance and its dissipation rate as applied to both a non-reacting bluff-body turbulent flow and an extension to a reacting case. In the conserved scalar formalism, the mean value of a thermo-chemical variable is obtained through the PDF-weighted integration of the local description over the conserved scalar, the mixture fraction. The scalar variance, one of the key parameters for the determination of a presumed β-function PDF, is obtained by solving its own transport equation with the unclosed scalar dissipation rate modelled using either an algebraic expression or a transport equation. The proposed approach is first applied to URANS and then extended to LES. Velocity, length and time scales associated with the URANS modelling are determined using the standard two-equation k-ε transport model. In contrast, all three scales required by the LES modelling are based on the Smagorinsky subgrid scale (SGS) algebraic model. The present study proposes a new algebraic and a new transport LES model for the scalar dissipation rate required by the transport equation for scalar variance, with a time scale consistent with the Smagorinsky SGS model.

Large-eddy simulation (LES) and unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) calculations have been performed to investigate the effects of different mathematical models for scalar variance and its dissipation rate as applied to both a non-reacting bluff-body turbulent flow and an extension to a reacting case. In the conserved scalar formalism, the mean value of a thermo-chemical variable is obtained through the PDF-weighted integration of the local description over the conserved scalar, the mixture fraction. The scalar variance, one of the key parameters for the determination of a presumed β-function PDF, is obtained by solving its own transport equation with the unclosed scalar dissipation rate modelled using either an algebraic expression or a transport equation. The proposed approach is first applied to URANS and then extended to LES. Velocity, length and time scales associated with the URANS modelling are determined using the standard two-equation k-ε transport model. In contrast, all three scales required by the LES modelling are based on the Smagorinsky subgrid scale (SGS) algebraic model. The present study proposes a new algebraic and a new transport LES model for the scalar dissipation rate required by the transport equation for scalar variance, with a time scale consistent with the Smagorinsky SGS model.

In this work we prove two theorems that characterize the hypersurfaces in the unitary sphere of dimension n+1. The first result, obtained by H. Alencar and M. do Carmo, classifies hypersurfaces with constant mean curvature in the sphere. This result was published in April 1994 in Proceedings of The American Mathematical Society, volume 120, number 4 with the title Hypersurfaces with Constant Mean Curvature. The second result was obtained by Li Haizhong in the article Hypersurfaces with Constant Scalar Curvature in Space Forms, published in 1996 in the journal Mathematisch Annalen, volume 305. The theorem of Li Haizhong characterizes hypersurfaces with constant scalar curvature in the sphere. We prove the theorem of Li Haizhong using the results obtained by H. Alencar and M. do Carmo. / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / Nesta dissertação apresentamos dois teoremas que caracterizam as hipersuperfícies na esfera unitária de dimensão n+1. O primeiro resultado, obtido por H. Alencar e M. do Carmo, classifica as hipersuperfícies com curvatura média constante na esfera. Este resultado foi publicado em abril de 1994 no Proceedings of The American Mathematical Society, volume 120, número 4 com o título Hypersurfaces With Constant Mean Curvature.O segundo resultado provado nesta dissertação foi obtido por Li Haizhong no artigo Hypersurfaces With Constant Scalar Curvature in Spaces Forms, publicado em 1996 no Mathematische Annalen, volume 305. O Teorema de Li Haizhong caracteriza as hipersuperfícies com curvatura escalar constante na esfera. Demonstraremos o Teorema de Li Haizhong utilizando os resultados obtidos por H. Alencar e M. do Carmo.

EVANGELISTA, I. S. Compact almost Ricci soliton, critical metrics of the total scalar curvature functional and p-fundamental tone estimates. 2017. 75 f. Tese (Doutorado em Matemática) – Centro de Ciências, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Fortaleza, 2017. / Submitted by Andrea Dantas (pgmat@mat.ufc.br) on 2017-07-10T12:41:32Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_tese_isevangelista.pdf: 618771 bytes, checksum: 7e4bb8d9fd8825ef347e309171075037 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Rocilda Sales (rocilda@ufc.br) on 2017-07-10T14:06:18Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_tese_isevangelista.pdf: 618771 bytes, checksum: 7e4bb8d9fd8825ef347e309171075037 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-10T14:06:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_tese_isevangelista.pdf: 618771 bytes, checksum: 7e4bb8d9fd8825ef347e309171075037 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-07-04 / The present thesis is divided in three different parts. The aim of the first part is to prove that a compact almost Ricci soliton with null Cotton tensor is isometric to a standard sphere provided one of the following conditions associated to the Schouten tensor holds: the second symmetric function is constant and positive; two consecutive symmetric functions are non null multiple or some symmetric function is constant and the quoted tensor is positive. The aim of the second part is to study the critical metrics of the total scalar curvature funcional on compact manifolds with constant scalar curvature and unit volume, for simplicity, CPE metrics. It has been conjectured that every CPE metric must be Einstein. We prove that the Conjecture is true for CPE metrics under a suitable integral condition and we also prove that it suffices the metric to be conformal to an Einstein metric. In the third part we estimate the p-fundamental tone of submanifolds in a Cartan-Hadamard manifold. First we obtain lower bounds for the p-fundamental tone of geodesic balls and submanifolds with bounded mean curvature. Moreover, we provide the p-fundamental tone estimates of minimal submanifolds with certain conditions on the norm of the second fundamental form. Finally, we study transversely oriented codimension one C 2-foliations of open subsets Ω of Riemannian manifolds M and obtain lower bounds estimates for the infimum of the mean curvature of the leaves in terms of the p-fundamental tone of Ω. / A presente tese está dividida em três partes diferentes. O objetivo da primeira parte é provar que um quase soliton de Ricci compacto com tensor de Cotton nulo é isométrico a uma esfera canônica desde que uma das seguintes condições associadas ao tensor de Schouten seja válida: a segunda função simétrica é constante e positiva; duas funções simétricas consecutivas são múltiplas, não nulas, ou alguma função simétrica é constante e o tensor de Schouten é positivo. O objetivo da segunda parte é estudar as métricas críticas do funcional curvatura escalar total em variedades compactas com curvatura escalar constante e volume unitário, por simplicidade, métricas CPE. Foi conjecturado que toda métrica CPE deve ser Einstein. Prova-se que a conjectura é verdadeira para as métricas CPE sob uma condição integral adequada e também se prova que é suficiente que a métrica seja conforme a uma métrica Einstein. Na terceira parte, estima-se o p-tom fundamental de subvariedades em uma variedade tipo Cartan-Hadamard. Primeiramente, obtém-se estimativas por baixo para o p-tom fundamental de bolas geodésicas e em subvariedades com curvatura média limitada. Além disso, obtém-se estimativas do p-tom fundamental de subvariedades mínimas com certas condições sobre a norma da segunda forma fundamental. Por fim, estudam-se folheações de classe C 2 transversalmente orientadas de codimensão 1 de subconjuntos abertos Ω de variedades riemannianas M e obtêm-se estimativas por baixo para o ínfimo da curvatura média das folhas em termos do p-tom fundamental de Ω.

The usage of automatic fingerprint identification systems as a means of identification and/or verification have increased substantially during the last couple of years. It is well known that small deviations may occur within a fingerprint over time, a problem referred to as template ageing. This problem, and other reasons for deviations between two images of the same fingerprint, complicates the identification/verification process, since distinct features may appear somewhat different in the two images that are matched. Commonly used to try and minimise this type of problem are different kinds of fingerprint image enhancement algorithms. This thesis tests different methods within the scale-space framework and evaluate their performance as fingerprint image enhancement methods. The methods tested within this thesis ranges from linear scale-space filtering, where no prior information about the images is known, to scalar and tensor driven diffusion where analysis of the images precedes and controls the diffusion process. The linear scale-space approach is shown to improve correlation values, which was anticipated since the image structure is flattened at coarser scales. There is however no increase in the number of accurate matches, since inaccurate features also tends to get higher correlation value at large scales. The nonlinear isotropic scale-space (scalar dependent diffusion), or the edge- preservation, approach is proven to be an ill fit method for fingerprint image enhancement. This is due to the fact that the analysis of edges may be unreliable, since edge structure is often distorted in fingerprints affected by the template ageing problem. The nonlinear anisotropic scale-space (tensor dependent diffusion), or coherence-enhancing, method does not give any overall improvements of the number of accurate matches. It is however shown that for a certain type of template ageing problem, where the deviating structure does not significantly affect the ridge orientation, the nonlinear anisotropic diffusion is able to accurately match correlation pairs that resulted in a false match before they were enhanced.

Master of Science / Department of Physics / Bharat Ratra / In this report, we discuss the four standard energy conditions of General Relativity (null, weak, dominant, and strong) and investigate their cosmological consequences. We note that these energy conditions can be compatible with cosmic acceleration provided that a repulsive cosmological constant exists and the acceleration stays within certain bounds. Scalar fields and dark energy, and their relationships to the energy conditions, are also discussed. Special attention is paid to the 1988 Ratra-Peebles scalar field model, which is notable in that it provides a physical self-consistent framework for the phenomenology of dark energy. Appendix B, which is part of joint-research with Anatoly Pavlov, Khaled Saaidi, and Bharat Ratra, reports on the existence of the Ratra-Peebles scalar field tracker solution in a curvature-dominated universe, and discusses the problem of investigating the evolution of long-wavelength inhomogeneities in this solution while taking into account the gravitational back-reaction (in the linear perturbative approximation).

International Telemetering Conference Proceedings / October 20-23, 2003 / Riviera Hotel and Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nevada / One of several methods currently under investigation to increase telemetry efficiency is channel diversity selection. A spatial technique we are exploring exploits a signal quality indicator of phase demodulation to select ‘competing’ telemetry channels sourced by antenna separated by fractional wavelengths. The Advanced Range Telemetry (ARTM) program, a Centralized Test and Evaluation Improvement Program (CTEIP) research project funded by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), recently investigated three switching criteria for a multiple antenna system. This paper will discuss an algorithm that controls channel selection, or diversity branch selection (DBS), using a combination of the techniques investigated.

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