In this thesis, a set of defining properties of grammatical variables is proposed, taking particular account of the precise extent to which variants should be required to be equivalent, semantically and pragmatically. These principles are then applied in a variationist analysis of negation and interrogation in spoken French, with data from a corpus from the Somme, northern France. Computer-assisted data-handling techniques are employed, notably the Oxford Concordance Program. For the (ne) variable, a large proportion of the data is analysed in terms of preformed sequences, which strongly favour the omission of the negative particle. There is also evidence that age is the most important extra-linguistic constraint, but this is interpreted as being a case of age-grading rather than of change in progress, as has sometimes been supposed. It is suggested that the negative particle has all but disappeared from northern French vernacular styles. To check the pragmatic equivalence of variant interrogative structures, a taxonomy of communicative functions is set up, drawing from research on speech acts, conversational structure and communicative grammar. The interrogatives in the corpus are then classified in terms of this taxonomy. In Yes/No interrogatives, clitic inversion is found to be completely absent from the corpus, and the minority use of est-ce 92! is shown to be motivated by pragmatic and socio-pragmatic factors, ie it is often used when the speaker does not expect an answer. from the addressee, or to encode politeness. WH interrogatives constitute one of the most complex grammatical variables studied so far, with six variant structures occurring in the corpus, and the choice among them being constrained by a large number of linguistic, discoursal and pragmatic factors. In order to take account of the unacceptability of some structures in certain contexts, the notion of "semi-variable" tokens is proposed. This is reflected in the method of calculating each variant's relative frequencies, as these exclude those contexts where the variant would be unacceptable, or non-equivalent to the structure actually used. The productive use of clitic inversion in the corpus is seen to be minimal, and the choice of the WH-final structure (as opposed to a WH-fronted one) is shown to be motivated overwhelmingly by discoursal considerations. The female informants are found to favour the est-ce que structure (partly, again, for politeness), whereas the male speakers use rather more of a non-standard variant.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Florida State University, 2004. / Advisor: Dr. Kwang-Yul Kim, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Meteorology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed Sept. 24, 2004). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1968. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2006. / Advisor: Kwang-Yul Kim, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Meteorology. Title and description from dissertation home page (viewed June 13, 2006). Document formatted into pages; contains x, 69 pages. Includes bibliographical references.

Orientador: Clarice Weis Arns / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciencias Medicas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-11T07:43:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Silva_LucianaHelenaAntoniassida_M.pdf: 1949067 bytes, checksum: 9e01c84eac5d3921b2a96a2cb7cceb31 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Os membros da família Paramyxoviridae, subfamília Pneumovirinae são vírus envelopados, não-segmentados dotados de genoma de RNA de fita simples com sentido negativo. O vírus Respiratório sincicial humano (hRSV) é o agente viral melhor caracterizado neste grupo, associado à doença do trato respiratório inferior. Recentemente foi identificado um novo patógeno humano pertencente à subfamília Pneumovirinae, o metapneumovírus humano (hMPV), o qual possui similaridades com o hRSV, na sua organização genômica, estrutura viral, antigenicidade e sintomas clínicos. Na primeira parte do presente trabalho o objetivo foi analisar a variabilidade genética dos isolados de hRSV circulantes na região de Campinas, no período de Abril a Setembro de 2004, comparando as seqüências previamente obtidas do gene que codifica as proteínas F e G do vírus com seqüências parciais e completas de gene homólogo de isolados identificados em outros países. A análise filogenética permitiu classificar os isolados de hRSV como pertencentes aos subgrupos A e B. Os isolados pertencentes ao subgrupo A se distribuíram em três genótipos: GA2, GA5 e SSA1. O genótipo SSA1 foi identificado pela primeira vez no sul da África, e existem poucos relatos do mesmo na literatura. As seqüências analisadas dos isolados do subgrupo B foram identificadas em 3 genótipos distintos dentro desse subgrupo, notadamente GB3 (SAB3) e BA (BAIII). Das amostras analisadas no presente estudo, duas foram identificadas como pertencentes ao genótipo BA, os isolados apresentaram a duplicação dos 60nt na posição 781-840 do gene. Na segunda parte da tese o objetivo foi identificar a presença e caracterizar molecularmente o hMPV por seqüenciamento parcial do gene que codifica para a proteína F de amostras coletadas de crianças em dois hospitais universitários na região de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil. Com base nas seqüências de nucleotídeos do gene F do hMPV, foi identificada a presença do subgrupo B/genótipo B1 em nosso trabalho, semelhante ao que foi relatado em 2004 na Austrália. Nossas amostras apresentaram duas amostras variantes neste mesmo genótipo, com base nas seqüências de nucleotídeos / Abstract: The members of the Paramyxoviridae are enveloped, non-segmented viruses, with negative-sense single stranded genomes. Respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is the best characterized agent viral of this group, associated with respiratory diseases in lower respiratory tract. Recently, a new human pathogen belonging to the subfamily Pneumovirinae was identified, the human metapneumovirus (hMPV), which is structurally similar to the hRSV, in genomic organization, viral structure, antigenicity and clinical symptoms. In the first part of the present work the objective is to analyze the genetic variability hRSV isolates circulating in the region of Campinas, in the period April and September 2004, comparing previously obtained sequences from the F and G protein gene of such strains with other partial and complete gene sequences from the homologous genes from isolates identified in other countries. The phylogenetic analysis conducted here allowed us to allocate the isolates belonging to groups A and B. The isolates belonging to the group A showed three clusters, GA2, GA5 and SAA1. The genotype SSA1 was previously identified in South Africa, and there are few reports of such genotype it in the literature. Analyzed sequences belonging to group B were identified in three distinct clusters, GB3 (SAB3) and BA (BAIII). Of the analyzed sequences in the present study, two were identified as belonging to genotype BA the isolates showed 60 nucleotide (nt) duplication at positions 781-840 the gene. In the second part of the thesis the objective was to identify the presence and molecular characterization of hMPV by partially sequencing of the F protein gene in samples collected from children of two university hospitals in the region of Campinas, São Paulo state, Brazil. Based on nucleotide sequences of hMPV F gene, we identified the presence of subgroup B/genotype B1 in our work, similarly to reports in 2004 in Australia. Our samples showed to variants in the same genotype, based on nucleotides sequences / Mestrado / Ciencias Basicas / Mestre em Clinica Medica

The study of ceramic variability in Chinese archaeology is conventionally understood in the context of temporal and regional differences, where emphasis is placed on explaining variability in terms of identifying regional styles and long-term changes. In this thesis, I examine ceramic variability of Shang pottery between two contiguous daily-use contexts at Huanbei, a Middle Shang period (1400-1250 BCE) site located in the Central Plains of China. Based on the analysis of pottery sherds collected from daily-use contexts at Hanwangdu (HWD) and Huyuanzhuang (HYZ), I argue that ceramics collected within a single-site context can be highly varied and distinct due to differences in use-context. Assemblage differences and ceramic variation are evaluated according to rim sherd attributes including vessel shape, rim and lip shape, dimensional properties, and surface treatment styles. Possible interpretive models for explaining observed patterns of variability are presented. Results of this study suggest that siginificant variability in pottery vessel design can be observed in the samples examined from the Huanbei site. Consumers from the HWD (a palace context) consumed a greater variety of pottery vessel types but with a more limited range of shapes and decorative styles. In contrast, consumers from HYZ (a non-palatial context) consumed a limited range of pottery vessel types but with a greater variability in the range of shapes and decoration. The observed patterns of variation reinforce current assumptions regarding the contextual differences between HWD and HYZ, and also provide new insight into the differential pottery consumption patterns by different social classes at Huanbei. Results of this study indicate the potential value of studying intra-site ceramic variation in Chinese archaeology and its importance in creating new knowledge on the material consumption behavior of different social classes. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate

The 11 year solar-cycle component of climate variability is assessed in historical simulations of models taken from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, phase 5 (CMIP-5). Multiple linear regression is applied to estimate the zonal temperature, wind and annular mode responses to a typical solar cycle, with a focus on both the stratosphere and the stratospheric influence on the surface over the period ∼1850–2005. The analysis is performed on all CMIP-5 models but focuses on the 13 CMIP-5 models that resolve the stratosphere (high-top models) and compares the simulated solar cycle signature with reanalysis data. The 11 year solar cycle component of climate variability is found to be weaker in terms of magnitude and latitudinal gradient around the stratopause in the models than in the reanalysis. The peak in temperature in the lower equatorial stratosphere (∼70 hPa) reported in some studies is found in the models to depend on the length of the analysis period, with the last 30 years yielding the strongest response. A modification of the Polar Jet Oscillation (PJO) in response to the 11 year solar cycle is not robust across all models, but is more apparent in models with high spectral resolution in the short-wave region. The PJO evolution is slower in these models, leading to a stronger response during February, whereas observations indicate it to be weaker. In early winter, the magnitude of the modelled response is more consistent with observations when only data from 1979–2005 are considered. The observed North Pacific high-pressure surface response during the solar maximum is only simulated in some models, for which there are no distinguishing model characteristics. The lagged North Atlantic surface response is reproduced in both high- and low-top models, but is more prevalent in the former. In both cases, the magnitude of the response is generally lower than in observations.

This thesis investigates variability in airway caliber and the distribution of ventilation within the human lung as thought to occur in asthma. Currently, the understanding of how an integrated network of airways can lead to temporal and spatial variation as found in the human lung is unclear. Throughout this thesis, a multibranch airway tree model was used in a forward modeling approach. In a variability study, the mean airway resistance (RL) was observed to be proportional to the standard deviation in airway resistance (SDRL) as reported in the literature under several conditions of airway diameter indicating the strong robustness of this behavior. The model predicted previously reported RL distributions and the reported proportionality of SDRL and RL, but only when we included coherency between airways. In a second study, patient specific ventilation was investigated using an image functional approach by closing specific airways (creating defects) identified by hyperpolarized 3He MRI from asthmatic subjects. Impedance predictions from the imposed heterogeneous ventilation were then calculated and correlated to 3He MRI ventilation defect percent (VDP), plethysmography, and spirometry data. These predictions suggest the forced oscillation technique (FOT) to be a superior metric toward the evaluation of the VDP. In a third study, we investigated how asymmetric branching could play a role in ventilation defect emergence and persistence. At high muscle activation levels simulating an asthmatic episode, airway trees with greater asymmetry reached steady state sooner, with defects that were more persistent in location, had lower RL values (~50%), and greater EL values (~25%) after bronchoconstriction. These results suggest the initial formation of ventilation defects was dependent on airway instability; however, the location and persistence of ventilation defects may be due to geometric airway structure. By modeling the contribution of ventilation defects to lung impedance, we were able to show that defects can play a role in governing the relationship between RL and its variation, and the effect of defects through VDP could be better assessed using FOT. Moreover, lung structure contributed to the emergence and persistence of ventilation defects, meaning that defects could be potentially ameliorated through structural intervention.

Transfer-appropriate processing (TAP) proposes that retrieval success is based on the match between processing at encoding and retrieval. We propose that the processing described by TAP determines the contextual cues that are encoded with an event. At retrieval, the presence or absence of contextual cues matching the encoding cues will influence success. To implement these principles as a strategy to improve memory, the nature of future retrieval processing or cues must be known during encoding. As this is unlikely in real-world memory function, we propose that increased encoding variability – increasing the range of encoded cues – increases the likelihood of TAP when the retrieval scenario is unknown. The larger the set of encoded cues, the more likely those cues will recur during retrieval and therefore achieve TAP. Preliminary research in our lab (Diana, unpublished data) has found that increased encoding variability improves memory for item information in a novel retrieval context. To test whether this benefit to memory is due to the increased likelihood of TAP, the current experiment compared the effects of encoding variability under conditions that emphasize TAP to conditions that reduce TAP. We found main effects of encoding variability and TAP, but no interaction between the two. Planned comparisons between high and low variability encoding contexts within matching and non-matching retrieval contexts did not produce a significant difference between high and low variability when encoding-retrieval processing matched. We conclude that further studies are necessary to determine whether encoding variability has mechanisms that benefit memory beyond TAP. / M.S. / It is well accepted within the episodic memory literature that successful memory retrieval is often driven by context cues. Specifically, the cues that are stored with the memory of the event. To develop a better understanding of how episodic memory works, we must understand how manipulating context cues changes memory performance. One way to investigate the effects of context manipulation is using encoding variability, which refers to the amount of variability (i.e., change) in context cues from one repetition of an item or event, to the next. Preliminary research in our lab (Diana, unpublished data) has found that increased encoding variability improves memory retrieval in a novel context, but it is unclear why this is the case. We proposed that the mental processing described by transfer-appropriate processing (TAP) – a principle stating that memory retrieval success is determined by the match, or overlap, between the mental processing at encoding (i.e., memory formation) and memory retrieval – determines the contextual cues that are stored with the memory at encoding. We hypothesized that encoding variability works even when TAP has already been achieved by matching the processing and cues at encoding to those at retrieval. Alternatively, we hypothesized that encoding variability works by specifically achieving TAP, so that encoding variability is only helpful when the encoding and retrieval contexts do not match. Results indicated partial support for the alternative hypothesis, suggesting that encoding variability works by achieving TAP. However, these results were not sufficiently conclusive, and it is likely that there are other mechanisms that allow for encoding variability to improve memory. This study establishes the groundwork for future work examining encoding variability and its effects on memory.

No description available.