The aim of this paper is to outline the means for encoding information structure in Yucatec Maya. Yucatec Maya is a tone language, displaying a three-fold opposition in the tonal realization of syllables. From the morpho-syntactic point of view, the grammar of Yucatec Maya contains morphological (topic affixes, morphological marking of out-of-focus predicates) and syntactic (designated positions) means to uniquely specify syntactic constructions for their information structure. After a descriptive overview of these phenomena, we present experimental evidence which reveals the impact of the nonavailability of prosodic alternatives on the choice of syntactic constructions in language production.

Klangfarbenmelodien is a term first mentioned by Schoenberg in his Harmonielehre (1911) in a discussion suggesting the idea of tone colors as a structural element equal to other musical components such as harmony, rhythm, pitch, and dynamics. The intent of this study is to investigate significant influences that led to Webern's adoption and application of Klangrfarben techniques in the Symphony, op. 21, first movement. Webern's expression of Klangfarbenmelodien was his method of dispersing melodic lines and the manipulation of a wide gamut of varying tone colors. A brief biography is included in the paper and Webern's professional career as a conductor is viewed and considered as to its affect on the creation of the Symphony with emphasis on his relationship with Schoenberg and the Society for Private Musical Performance. The genesis of the Symphony and its early performance history is examined, as well as the structure of op. 21 with specific examples of Klangrfarbenmelodien. These techniques include the presentation of melodic lines in terms of octave register, timbre, dynamics, articulation, durations, rhythm, and instrumentation.

Background: For the past 50+ years, audiologists have been taught to measure the pure-tone thresholds at the interoctave frequencies when the thresholds at adjacent octave frequencies differ by 20 dB or more. Although this so-called 20 dB rule is logical when enhanced audiometric resolution is required, the origin of the rule is elusive, and a thorough literature search failed to find supporting scientific data. Purpose: This study purposed to examine whether a 20 dB difference between thresholds at adjacent octave frequencies is the critical value for whether the threshold of the interoctave frequency should be measured. Along this same line of questioning is whether interoctave thresholds can be predicted from the thresholds of the adjacent or bounding octave frequencies instead of measured, thereby saving valuable time. Research Design: Retrospective, descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional. Study Sample: Audiograms from over a million veterans provided the data, which were archived at the Department of Veterans Affairs, Denver Acquisition and Logistics Center. Data Collection and Analysis: Data from the left and right ears were independently evaluated. For each ear three interoctave frequencies (1500, 3000, and 6000 Hz) were studied. For inclusion, thresholds at the interoctave frequency and the two bounding octave frequencies had to be measurable, which produced unequal numbers of participants in each of the six conditions (2 ears by 3 interoctave frequencies). Age tags were maintained with each of the six conditions. Results: Three areas of analyses were considered. First, relations among the octave-frequency thresholds were examined. About 62% of the 1000-2000 Hz threshold differences were ≥20 dB, whereas about 74% of the 4000-8000 Hz threshold differences were <20 dB. About half of the threshold differences between 2000 and 4000 Hz were <20 dB and half were >20 dB. There was an inverse relation between frequency and the percent of negative slopes between octave-frequency thresholds, ranging from 89% at 1500 Hz to 54% at 6000 Hz. The majority of octave-frequency pairs demonstrated poorer thresholds for the higher frequency of the pair. Second, interoctave frequency thresholds were evaluated using the median metric. As the interoctave frequency increased from 1500 to 6000 Hz, the percent of thresholds at the interoctave frequencies that were not equal to the median threshold increased from ∼9.5% (1500 Hz) to 15.6% (3000 Hz) to 28.2% (6000 Hz). Bivariate plots of the interoctave thresholds and the mean octave-frequency thresholds produced 0.85-0.91 R2 values and 0.79-0.92 dB/dB slopes. Third, the predictability of the interoctave thresholds from the mean thresholds of the bounding octave frequencies was evaluated. As expected, as the disparity between octave-frequency thresholds increased, the predictability of the interoctave threshold decreased; for example, using a ±5 dB criterion at 1500 Hz, 53% of the thresholds were ±5 dB when the octave thresholds differed by ≥20 dB, whereas 77% were ±5 dB when the octave thresholds differed by <20 dB. Conclusions: The current findings support the 20 dB rule for testing interoctave frequency thresholds and suggest the rule could be increased to 25 dB or more with little adverse effect.

This study investigated the possibility of pitch and tone register differences between native speakers of Taiwan and Beijing Mandarin by means of an acoustic analysis of three speech styles. Speech styles included spontaneous interview, spontaneous descriptive, and controlled read sentential speech. Data analysis included long segments of recorded speech in order to discern any statistically significant pitch register differences between the two dialects. Speech style and read tones were also analyzed. Results suggest that tones produced in Taiwan Mandarin are in a slightly lower register than those produced in Beijing Mandarin. Surprisingly, speech style was not a significant predictor of pitch register in long segments of recorded speech. Despite a limited sample size, this research effectively promotes the inclusion of sociolinguistic variables such as dialect in the field of tone research.

The real importance of the twelve-tone system would seem to lie in its structural possibilities. It combines the inherent potentialities of the theme of a movement in sonata form with those of the theme of a fugue and of variations. It creates a coherent texture throughout the single movements and the work as a whole. It is needless to say that this kind of coherence can also be achieved in serial compositions, that is, in movements in which not the full row of twelve tones, but only seven or eight or nine tones form the basic row.

Silicon and silicon-based materials have been investigated for the fabrication of electronic, optoelectronic, solar, and structural/mechanical devices. To enable the continuous use of silicon-based materials for next generation device applications, new and inexpensive ways of fabricating features of silicon, and silica-based materials are needed. This dissertation investigates: 1) novel techniques for the fabrication of silica and silicon nanofeatures with potential application in the electronics and optoelectronics industry; 2) new designs of photomodifiable material systems (resists) for maskless patterning of silica filled composites for structural/mechanical applications. Sub-micron and nano-scaled features were fabricated onto silicon and silicon oxide substrates using a technique combining block copolymers and laser interference ablation. The sacrificial block copolymers are loaded with metallic salt precursors and patterned with a UV laser to generate device-oriented nanofeatures. New photopolymerizable material systems (negative tone resists) were developed based on curcumin photosensitizer and an epoxy-acrylate, vinylether, and vinylether-acrylate silica¬-loaded material systems. The cationic and radical mechanisms employed by the monomeric systems under a high vapor pressure mercury lamp source were investigated with several materials characterization techniques.

Although Schoenberg viewed his twelve-tone method as an extension of the Germanic musical evolution from Bach to Brahms, one group of writers in America identified twelve-tone antecedents with Medieval and Renaissance polyphony. Such a correlation of Schoenberg's practice with this textural orientation of the past was part of a larger movement (what I term "neopolyphony") recognizing twentieth-century musical developments as the genesis of a polyphonic epoch reviving both the technical and aesthetic concerns of the former era. With Schoenberg's practice applied to this analogical context, other writers (Hill, Krenek, Perle) advanced certain modal theories based in various degrees on the internal organization and functional role of the Church modes.

by Kong Hiu-Shun, Wu Hui-Yu. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-126). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.v / LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS --- p.vii / LIST OF TABLES --- p.viii / ACKNOWLEDGMENT --- p.ix / CHAPTER / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter II. --- WHAT IS INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA? --- p.5 / Definition of Interactive Multimedia --- p.5 / Five Components of Interactive Multimedia --- p.6 / Importance of Interactive Multimedia --- p.7 / Chapter III. --- KEY APPLICATIONS OF INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA --- p.9 / Business --- p.9 / Education and Training --- p.12 / Education --- p.12 / Training --- p.15 / Communication --- p.18 / Entertainment --- p.20 / Chapter IV. --- IMPACT OF INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA --- p.21 / Chapter V. --- INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA SERVICES IN HONG KONG --- p.26 / Hongkong Telecom and Its Interactive Multimedia Services (IMS) --- p.26 / Legal Environment of Telecommunications in Related to IMS Development --- p.28 / Analysis of Industry Environment --- p.31 / Competitors and Substitutes --- p.31 / Suppliers --- p.33 / New Entrants --- p.34 / Customers --- p.34 / Assessment of Opportunities and Threats --- p.36 / Opportunities --- p.36 / Threats --- p.36 / Chapter VI. --- MARKETING PLAN OF HONGKONG TELECOM IMS --- p.38 / Target Customer --- p.38 / Marketing Mix of IMS --- p.39 / Product --- p.39 / Place --- p.42 / Price --- p.44 / Promotion --- p.45 / Assessment of Strengths and Weaknesses --- p.47 / Strengths --- p.47 / Weaknesses --- p.50 / Chapter VII. --- MARKET RESEARCH ON IMS --- p.51 / Purpose of Survey --- p.51 / Research Objectives --- p.51 / Research Methodology --- p.52 / Analytical Techniques --- p.53 / Data Analysis and Finding --- p.58 / Demographic Information --- p.58 / Current and Past Experience --- p.60 / "Awareness of Interactive Multimedia Service, VOD and Home Shopping" --- p.63 / Perception on the Importance of Factors in Considering the Subscription of VOD --- p.65 / Perception on the Importance of Factors in Considering the Use of Home Shopping Services --- p.66 / Willingness of Purchasing Products through Home Shopping Service --- p.67 / Willingness of Subscription of VOD at Different Monthly Charge --- p.69 / Willingness of Subscription of VOD at Different Charge Per Movie --- p.71 / Willingness of Subscription of Home Shopping Services at Different Product Prices --- p.76 / Willingness of Subscription of IMS --- p.79 / Chapter VIII. --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.83 / Awareness of the Services --- p.83 / Target Customer --- p.84 / Recommended Marketing Mix --- p.85 / Product --- p.86 / Price --- p.88 / Place --- p.89 / Promotion --- p.89 / Chapter IX. --- CONCLUSION --- p.91 / APPENDIX --- p.93 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.124

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No. of bitstreams: 1 DissFRB.pdf: 2007775 bytes, checksum: 565b90716d5baeeb8d5031d93f8e7c43 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-09-04 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Teleost fishes were the first vertebrates to possess double autonomic innervation of the heart, where a balance between adrenergic and cholinergic actions determine heart rate (ƒH). Among teleosts, air breathing (AB) fishes are unsual because they exhibit marked changes in ƒH associated with each air-breathing event, which appear to be under autonomic control. In these species, aerobic exercise typically causes increases in air-breathing frequency (fAB), but effects of exercise on ƒH, and on the changes in ƒH with AB events, have never been studied. This was, therefore, studied in the african catfish, Clarias gariepinus, a facultative air breathing species. In particular, to investigate autonomic control of cardiac responses to exercise, and whether pharmacological abolition of ƒH control had an influence on fAB responses to exercise. Two groups of C.gariepinus were implanted with ECG electrodes under benzocaine anaesthesia, used to measure ƒH during exercise, routine between AB events, and ƒH Pre-AB and ƒH Post-AB. A peritoneal cannula was inserted to inject antagonist drugs, propranolol and atropine. In Group 1 (n = 9; 126 ± 6g EPM), animals were submitted to three sequential swimming tests at speeds of 15, 30 and 45 cm.s-1 : Control, Propranolol and Double Blockade. Group 2 (n = 9; 137 ± 8g EPM) were submitted to the same sequential swimming tests, however with a reversal in drug injections : Control, Atropine and Double Blockade. Additionally to ƒH, ƒAB and the % of adrenergic and cholinergic tones were calculated at each velocity for each test. A clear positive relation between swimming speed and ƒAB was observed. Autonomic blockade did not have major effects on these ƒAB responses. Interestingly, however, injection of propranolol alone, in group 1, caused ƒAB to be higher than control values at speeds of 30 and 45 cm.s-1, an effect that was still measured at 45 cm.s-1 after Double Blockade in that group. In group 1, the ƒH Routine of Control and Propranolol protocols showed an increase with swimming speed. However, after Double Blockade, or just atropine in Group 2, ƒH Routine was high and did not vary with swimming speed. This reveals a profound dominance of cholinergic tone on ƒH during exercise. Similarly, in group 1, the ƒH Pre- AB increased with swimming speed in Control and Propranolol tests. The ƒH Post AB was high and varied less as speed was increased in Control and Propranolol test of Group 1. Once again Double Blockade tests, or just Atropine in Group 2, abolished all changes in ƒH associated with air-breathing, at all swimming speeds, confirming a dominance of inhibitory cholinergic control of fH responses. Calculation of autonomic tones around AB events verified that adrenergic tone does not vary from Pre to Post moments, all changes in fH are due to modulation of tone action. Therefore, C.gariepinus relies on AB events to maintain aerobic metabolisn during sustained exercise. Modulation of inhibitory cholinergic tone accounts for all variations in ƒH Routine during exercise, and for all changes in ƒH during AB events. Abolition of this cholinergic control did not, however, have a major influence on AB responses to exercise. / Os peixes teleósteos foram os primeiros vertebrados a possuírem inervação autonômica dupla no coração, onde um balanço entre a ação adrenérgica e colinérgica determina a frequência cardíaca (ƒH). Dentro dos teleósteos, peixes que realizam respiração aérea (RA) são interessantes modelos de estudo, uma vez que exibem notáveis alterações na ƒH associadas a cada evento de RA, que parecem estar sob controle autônomo. Nessas espécies, o exercício aeróbico geralmente causa um aumento na frequência de respiração aérea (ƒRA), mas os efeitos do exercício na ƒH e na ƒRA ainda não foram estudados. Assim, o presente estudo, utilizando-se de exemplares de bagre africano, Clarias gariepinus, um respirador aéreo facultativo, teve por objetivo investigar o papel do controle autonômico para os ajustes de ƒH relacionados à atividade física e à respiração aérea. Após a anestesia em solução de benzocaína, foram implantados eletrodos de ECG, utilizados para medir a ƒH em duas situações durante o exercício: Routine, medida entre eventos de RA, e ƒH Pré- RA e ƒH Pós-RA, em dois grupos de C. gariepinus. Uma cânula peritoneal foi inserida para realizar a injeção das drogas antagonistas, propranolol e atropina. No Grupo 1 (n = 9; 126 ± 6g EPM), os animais foram submetidos a três testes sequenciais de natação, nas velocidades de 15, 30 e 45 cm.s-1: Controle, Propranolol e Duplo Bloqueio. No Grupo 2 (n = 9; 137 ± 8g EPM), os animais foram submetidos ao mesmo protocolo sequencial de natação, porém com uma inversão na injeção das drogas antagonistas: Controle, Atropina e Duplo Bloqueio. Adicionalmente, a ƒH, ƒRA e a % de ação do tônus adrenérgico e colinérgico foram calculadas, em cada velocidade, para cada teste. Uma clara relação positiva entre as velocidades de natação e a ƒRA foi observada. O duplo bloqueio autonômico não teve efeitos na resposta da ƒRA. Interessantemente, a injeção somente de propranolol, no Grupo 1, fez com que a ƒRA observada nas duas últimas velocidades de natação, 30 e 45 cm.s-1, fossem maiores do que os valores encontrados no Controle, um resultado que também foi observado a 45 cm.s-1 após o duplo bloqueio nesse grupo. Adicionalmente, no Grupo 1, a ƒH Routine encontrada nos protocolos Controle e Propranolol apresentaram um aumento conforme aumentou-se velocidade de natação. Entretanto, após o duplo bloqueio, ou somente após injeção de atropina, no Grupo 2, a ƒH Routine encontrada foi maior e não variou conforme aumentou-se a velocidade de natação. Esses resultados revelam uma grande dominância do tônus colinérgico no controle da ƒH durante o exercício. Similarmente, no Grupo 1, a ƒH Pré-RA aumentou conforme se aumentou a velocidade de natação nos protocolos Controle e Propranolol. A ƒH Pós-RA, no Grupo 1, foi maior e variou menos conforme se aumentou a velocidade de natação nos protocolos Controle e Propranolol. Mais uma vez, no Grupo 2, os testes, após duplo bloqueio ou somente após injeção de atropina, aboliram todas as mudanças na ƒH associadas a cada evento de RA, em todas as velocidades de natação, confirmando a dominância do tônus colinérgico inibitório no controle das respostas cardíacas. Os cálculos dos tônus autonômico em torno de cada evento de RA verificaram que o tônus adrenérgico não variou nos momentos Pré e Pós, sendo todas as mudanças na ƒH devido à modulação da ação do tônus colinérgico. Portanto, C. gariepinus utiliza-se de eventos de RA para manter o metabolismo aeróbico durante o exercício físico sustentado. A modulação do tônus colinérgico inibitório foi responsável por todas as variações na ƒH Routine durante o exercício e por todas as mudanças na ƒH durante os eventos de RA. A abolição desse controle colinérgico não tem, porém, uma influência na frequência dos eventos de RA durante o exercício.

La qualité d’une prise de vue est un point incontournable dans la résolution des problèmes d’imagerie. Un capteur non adapté, un éclairage non contrôlé, ou des conditions variables de la scène observée peuvent être à l’origine de problèmes très difficiles à surmonter. Nous présentons différentes méthodes de traitement d’image permettant de prendre en compte au mieux ces conditions de prise de vue instables. Les approches que nous proposons sont définies dans le cadre du modèle LIP (Logarithmic Image Processing). Dans une première partie, nous nous intéressons à des notions de contraste : le contraste LIP additif et un nouveau contraste LIP multiplicatif, ainsi qu’à leurs métriques associées. De nouveaux outils de traitement basés sur ces notions sont ensuite définis : seuillage, détecteur de contours, reconnaissance de modèle. L’utilisation de ces notions de contraste confère à ces algorithmes la capacité des contrastes LIP à s’adapter à différents types d’images mal conditionnées. Nous proposons ensuite de nouvelles techniques de correction de dynamique d’images en exploitant les opérations LIP. Différentes corrections globales et locales sont présentées ainsi que leurs applications directes : correction de dérive d’éclairement pour du contrôle industriel ou amélioration d’image pour de la visualisation. Nous obtenons notamment une méthode de correction locale dont les résultats se rapprochent de ceux de certaines techniques de tone mapping. En comparaison, notre technique s’avère simple, rapide (temps réel à 30 images par seconde) et réaliste car basée sur une interprétation physique de la problématique / The quality of image acquisitions is crucial in the resolution of imaging problems. Troubles during acquisiton can lead to unstability for image processing algorithms. We propose different methods (thresholding techniques, contour detection, pattern matching) based on new metrics and contrasts in the LIP context. The LIP (Logarithmic Image Processing) model is recognized as an efficient framework to process images acquired in transmitted light and to take into account the human visual system. LIP operations are also useful to simulate varitations of image parameters in situation of reflected light. Finally, we propose new methods of global and local dynamic enhancement in the LIP framework like a real time and realistic local dynamic correction that brings results close to those obtained by certain tone mapping methods