The moose population in Sweden is one of the highest in the world. The population have positive impacts on humans but also cause problems such as browsing damages and collisions with traffic. To manage this population in an adaptive and ecological sound way, the managers need to have as much information as possible. The aim of this study was to improve the description of Sweden’s moose management areas regarding available forage for moose. This is done by describing the heterogeneity of the landscape within the moose management areas, which is done by using different landscape indexes. The heterogeneity indexes is then used to analyze if correlation exists between the variation of the landscape and firstly data that describes the available food, secondly data that indicates the moose population density. Multiple regression analysis were done in order to find a model with the indexes that best explains the variation in available forage and moose population indicators.  The results in this study showed a positive correlation between number of moose shot per 1000 hectares and patch richness awhile a negative correlation was found between number of moose shot per 1000 hectares and edge density. Results also showed a negative correlation between both edge density and the patch richness in the landscape with the presence of rowan, sallow, aspen and oak (RASE). Further developments of indexes that describe landscape heterogeneity is needed, but this study may indicate that knowledge of the variation in the landscape might provide useful information on the prerequisites for the Swedish moose population.

The field of Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL) has seen in recent decades a growing interest in portraying and teaching one of the most salient and intrinsic features of Arabic: language variation. This thesis takes a position in contrast to approaches that portray the two varieties as being distinct and well-defined dichotomic units, in favour of an approach that interprets them as two heterogeneous language varieties within one singular linguistic system. The two language varieties are embodied by Standard and Colloquial Arabic and it is argued here for the teaching of both varieties to students of Arabic as a foreign language. In this light, this thesis sets out to investigate the development of two language skills, vocabulary knowledge and language awareness, in a diglossic learning environment. Moreover, it explores the attitudes and perceptions of the students towards Arabic variation. Two experimental methods based on focus-on-form instruction are used in this research to teach Colloquial Arabic to students of Arabic as a foreign language at higher-education level, and the empirical research is conducted within a semi-embedded research design in which qualitative and quantitative data are collected. Students from three universities participate in this research: the Universities of Exeter, Genoa and Milan. This allows for the comparison of results from students of different mother tongues. The main research question that this thesis sets out to answer is: does focus-on-form instruction lead to vocabulary development in two diglossic varieties, namely Standard and Colloquial Arabic, more effectively when it focuses on the two varieties separately or when it links their forms? Two sub-questions investigate which of the two methods of focus-on-form instruction lead more efficiently to the development of language awareness, and the impact they have on students’ attitudes towards Arabic variation. The last sub-question asks to what extent the development of the diglossic language skills and attitudes is a consequence of the method of instruction received. The results of this study suggest that the answer lies in focusing predominantly on one variety at a time with additional consolidation exercises that compare the forms of the two varieties. The main contributions of this thesis are both theoretical, to the literature of TAFL, and empirical, regarding the development of the language skills and attitudes measured.

All production machinery is designed with an inherent capability to handle slight variations in product. This is initially achieved by simply providing adjustments to allow, for example, changes that occur in pack sizes to be accommodated, through user settings or complete sets of change parts. By the appropriate use of these abilities most variations in product can be handled. However when extreme conditions of setups, major changes in product size and configuration, are considered there is no guarantee that the existing machines are able to cope. The problem is even more difficult to deal with when completely new product families are proposed to be made on an existing product line. Such changes in product range are becoming more common as producers respond to demands for ever increasing customization and product differentiation. An issue exists due to the lack of knowledge on the capabilities of the machines being employed. This often forces the producer to undertake a series of practical product trials. These however can only be undertaken once the product form has been decided and produced in sufficient numbers. There is then little opportunity to make changes that could greatly improve the potential output of the line and reduce waste. There is thus a need for a supportive modelling approach that allows the effect of variation in products to be analyzed together with an understanding of the manufacturing machine capability. Only through their analysis and interaction can the capabilities be fully understood and refined to make production possible. This thesis presents a constraint-based approach that offers a solution to the problems above. While employing this approach it has been shown that, a generic process can be formed to identify the limiting factors (constraints) of variant products to be processed. These identified constraints can be mapped to form the potential limits of performance for the machine. The limits of performance of a system (performance envelopes) can be employed to assess the design capability to cope with product variation. The approach is successfully demonstrated on three industrial case studies.

Cette thèse est la continuation d’un travail, qui a pour objectif d’expliquer le phénomène des emprunts et leurs adaptations phonologiques. La recherche se fonde sur la consultation du journal brésilien du XIXème siècle ‘A Gazetinha’, où l’on trouve un grand nombre de mots français. Ainsi, nous partons d’un corpus écrit, ce qui nous a conduit à réfléchir sur le rôle de l’orthographe dans le résultat de l’adaptation. Notre recherche dans la littérature sur les emprunts, nous a permis d’isoler deux aspects : les adaptations phonologiques des mots français en portugais et la frontière entre l’étymologie et les emprunts. Ce travail contribue à la description de la langue portugaise et de sa phonologie à partir des processus d’adaptation d’emprunts français, et, en outre, à la description des vocabulaires du portugais européen et du portugais brésilien à partir de leurs dictionnaires étymologiques et monolingues. Nos hypothèses fondamentales sont que l’orthographe et la connaissance du français ont un rôle dans le processus d’adaptation ; les locuteurs portugais et les brésiliens peuvent adapter différemment des mots français ; les vocabulaires européen et brésilien peuvent présenter des différences en ce qui concerne les mots d’origine française. Notre méthodologie pour vérifier les adaptations phonologiques consiste en l’application d’un test basé sur l’article The influence of orthography on loanword adaptations, de Vendelin et Peperkamp (2006). Le test a été adapté à notre sujet et appliqué aux locuteurs brésiliens ainsi qu’aux portugais afin de comparer les résultats. Nous envisageons dans notre travail six phonèmes français précis. Les résultats du test sur les adaptations phonologiques révèlent qu’il n’y a pas de différence de choix d’adaptation entre les locuteurs européens et les brésiliens au niveau phonologique. Les adaptations sont toujours vers la langue d’accueil, le portugais. Cependant, l’orthographe et la connaissance du français semblent liées comme facteurs agissants dans le processus quand le locuteur en a besoin. Les subtiles différences d’adaptations n’apparaissent qu’au niveau phonétique, en obéissant aux phénomènes de la langue portugaise. A propos du deuxième aspect de cette recherche- la frontière entre l’étymologie et les emprunts-, nous utilisons comme méthode la consultation de dictionnaires étymologiques et monolingues du portugais pour établir un cadre de discussion où sont comparées leurs informations sur l’origine des mots. Après une analyse de donnés, nous vérifions que les informations sont assez contrastées pour empêcher une lecture facile, qu’on soit linguiste ou non. Notre conclusion est que les dictionnaires ne sont pas une ressource de recherche aux informations incontestables et que d’autres études et réflexions sont encore nécessaires. / The main objective of this thesis is to understand the phenomenon of loanwords and their phonological adaptations. The research was based on consulting the Brazilian newspaper of the nineteenth century 'A Gazetinha', whose use of French words is common. Thus, we start with a written corpus, which makes us think about the role of orthography in loanword adaptations. After our research in the literature about loanwords, we focused on two aspects: the phonological adaptation of French words in Portuguese and the link between etymology and loanwords. This work contributes to the description of the Portuguese lexicon and its phonology from the process of adaptation of French loans. In addition, we contribute to the description of Portuguese vocabulary from their etymological dictionaries and monolingual. Our assumptions are that the orthography and knowledge of French play a role in the adaptation process; Portuguese and Brazilian speakers may show differences to adapt the French words; European and Brazilian vocabulary may show differences related with words of French origin. Our methodology for assessing the phonological adaptation involves the application of a test based on the article The influence of orthography on loanwords adaptations of Vendelin & Peperkamp (2006). The test has been adapted to our subject and applied to Brazilian and Portuguese speakers to compare the results. We analyze six French phonemes in this work. The test results on phonological adaptations show that there is no difference in choice of adaptation between European and Brazilian speakers at the phonological level. Adaptations are always to the target language, Portuguese. However, orthography and knowledge of French appear to be related and active factors in the process when the speaker is needed. The subtle differences in adaptation are only on the phonetic level, obeying the phenomena of Portuguese.Concerning the second aspect studied- the relation between etymology and loanwords-, we use as a research method the consultation of etymological and monolingual dictionaries of Portuguese to establish a framework for discussion comparing their information about the origins of words. After a data analysis, we verify that the information is quite contrasting, which prevents easy reading to any reader, not just to linguists. Our conclusion is that dictionaries are not a source of research with compelling information and other studies and discussions are still needed.

During meiosis, homologous chromosomes pair and undergo reciprocal genetic exchange, producing crossovers. This generates genetic diversity and is required for balanced homolog segregation. Despite the critical functions of crossovers, their frequency and distribution varies extensively within and between species. This crossover variation can be caused by trans-modifiers within populations, which encode diffusible molecules that influence crossover formation elsewhere in the genome. This project utilised natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana to identify trans-modifying loci underlying crossover variation within the species. I performed Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL) mapping using a fluorescence-based crossover reporter system to measure recombination frequency in a genomic interval on chromosome 3, termed 420. Mapping in a Col-420 × Bur-0 F2 population revealed four major recombination QTLs (rQTLs) that influence crossover frequency. A novel recessive rQTL on chromosome 1 that reduced crossovers within the interval was fine-mapped to a premature stop codon in TATA Binding Protein (TBP)-associated factor 4b (TAF4b) in Bur-0 (taf4b-1). TAF4b is a subunit of the TFIID complex, a multi-protein general transcription factor complex comprising TBP and numerous TAFs that forms a component of the pre-initiation complex that recruits RNA polymerase II to promoters. Transformation-based complementation experiments and the isolation of several independent taf4b alleles provided genetic proof that TAF4b is essential for wild-type levels of crossover within 420. Analysis of the prevalence of the taf4b-1 mutation in the global Arabidopsis accession collection demonstrated its specificity to three accessions in the British Isles. A combination of cytology, genetic analysis using additional fluorescent reporter lines, and sequencing in F2 recombinant populations demonstrated a genome-wide reduction in crossover frequency in taf4b-1. In addition, RNA sequencing identified numerous transcriptional changes in taf4b-1. Both up- and down-regulated gene sets displayed significant enrichment for genes that are predominantly expressed in meiocytes, and several gene ontology terms pertaining to protein modification and meiotic processes. These results further demonstrate the existence of genetic modifiers of crossover frequency in natural populations of A. thaliana, and the characterisation of a novel trans-modifier of recombination, TAF4b. This signifies a novel function for TAF4b in Arabidopsis, and further enhances our understanding of the molecular factors controlling the frequency and distribution of meiotic crossovers in plants.

Thesis (M.Sc.Eng.) / As semiconductor technology has been scaled down, increased variation in process parameters results in the variation of key device parameters, which will change the performance and operation of the integrated circuit. This MSEE thesis involves the study of the effects of process variation on the behavior of an 8-GHz clock generator (synthesizer) designed in the 0.13μm IBM 8HP BiCMOS technology, and the recommendation of changes that could be mader to the design that would make it more tolerant to process variation. The first part of this MS research project has involved the design of the phase-locked loop (PLL). The PLL contains a differential VCO (voltage-controller oscillator), a TPSC-DFF (True Single-Phase Clock D-Flip Flop) based 2/3/4 frequency divider, a phase frequency detector, a charge pump, a low-pass filter, a logic control circuit and several buffers. since 8 GHz is a fairly high frequency for a clock generator in a 0.13μm technology and since high frequency circuit layouts inevitable degenerate the circuit performance, the frequency in the design part must necessarily be even higher than the specification. Therefore, this work combines the use of the known fastest architecture in every individual part. After completing the design of the synthesizer, it was simulated in Cadence, first with schematic-based models, using the IBM 8HP design kit, and was studies with statistical distributions utilized for key device parameters, as provided by the design kit. the layout of the circuit was completed and the simulations were redone using extracted models, based on the layouts, with the statistical parameter distributions included. According to Monte Carlo distribution simulation results, the most sensitive parameters were identified and analyzed. Based on those results, changes to the circuit have been proposed and studied, such as changes in device W and L, number of gate fingers nf, use of device multiplicity m, and/or changes to the basic circuit architecture to attempt to minimize the effects of process variation behavior functionality of the circuit.

BAKGRUND: I bakgrunden har tidigare undersökningar och litteratur tagits upp som berör vikten av en varierad matematikundervisning i relation till elevers lärande. Utöver tidigare undersökningar görs även kopplingar till vår läroplan för det obligatoriska skolväsendet, förskoleklassen och fritidshemmet, Lpo-94. Undersökningen utgår ifrån det socio-kulturella perspektivet.SYFTE: Syftet med undersökningen är att ta del av verksamma lärares erfarenheter gällande en varierad matematikundervisning. Därigenom hoppas jag också att kunna vidga min egen kompetens inom området.3METOD: Undersökningen har ett kvalitativt förhållningssätt där tillväga-gångssättet är en Self report, det vill säga en intervju som skrivs ner av deltagarna.RESULTAT: Respondenternas svar visade på tydliga skäl till varför det är viktigt att variera undervisningen. I sina redogörelser beskrev även respond-enterna flera olika hjälpmedel och aktiviteter som de använder sig av för att hjälpa eleverna i deras lärande.

Cette étude adopte une analyse cognitive et contrastive des métaphores de l'alimentation en arabe tunisien, en français et en anglais. Cette étude a pour objectif la comparaison des métaphores dans leurs cadres culturels tout en analysant l'effet du contexte socioculturel sur la compréhension et l'utilisation de ces métaphores. Cette étude part d'un corpus qui contient des expressions métaphoriques utilisant des termes en rapport avec l'alimentation. Ces termes incluent les différents types d'aliments et la description des expériences accompagnant l'alimentation. Le corpus a été collecté en consultant des dictionnaires pour le français et l'anglais dans les langues étudiées et en enregistrant des communications avec des sujets parlant la langue arabe tunisienne, où ils répondent à des questions portant sur l'utilisation des termes de l’alimentation. L'analyse qualitative du corpus est basée essentiellement sur les correspondances entre les domaines (cross-domain mapping) (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980 ; Lakoff, 1993) l'un des principaux axes sur lesquels la théorie de la métaphore conceptuelle est construite. L'étude est divisée en trois grandes étapes : 1-Une description et l'analyse des différentes métaphores de l'alimentation dans les trois langues tout en essayant d’extraire les différentes métaphores conceptuelles et en expliquant leur rôle en interaction avec la théorie de l’incorporation (embodiment) : Johnson, 1987 ; Lakoff & Johnson, 1999 ; Maalej, 2004) dans la compréhension et l'utilisation de ces métaphores. 2- Une comparaison de ces métaphores en se basant sur le modèle postulé par Kövecses (2005) analysant la variation métaphorique et l'effet du contexte culturel. Ce modèle étudie les différents aspects de variation métaphorique entre langues/cultures. Ces aspects sont les domaines source et cible, les relations entre la source et la cible, les métaphores linguistiques, les correspondances et modèles culturels. 3- Une investigation de l'effet du contexte socioculturel sur la compréhension et l'utilisation des métaphores de l'alimentation a lieu à travers une étude basée sur la décomposition des différentes métaphores étudiées en métaphores simples et métaphores complexes. Ce modèle développé par Yu (2008) démontre à travers une étude comparative des métaphores conceptuelles l’existence d’un filtre culturel qui permet l’apparition ou l’absence de certaines métaphores spécifiques à la langue/culture en question. / This study adopts a cognitive contrastive analysis of English, French and Tunisian Arabic (for short TA) food metaphors corpora. The three main objectives of the present study are: 1) reveal the cognitive tools governing the understanding of food metaphors across the three languages. 2) sort out and compare the different target domains of food in the three languages with a particular focus on universality and variation. 3) address through variation, the impact of the socio-cultural context on metaphors understanding, use, creation and recreation. Investigating the conceptual role of food expressions, the impact of culture and the interaction between mind, body and culture is the common point among the main objectives of the present research. The study started with collecting a corpus of food-related terms used metaphorically in context. The data collection relied on written and spoken material. The corpus was then analysed qualitatively on the basis of the cross-domain mapping. The study investigated the pertinence of food and related practices in conceptualizing abstract experiences and then being a depository of familiar experiences ready for being created and recreated to frame newly abstract domains and situations. By doing so, the present work defined the role of the socio-cultural settings in metaphorical thought and reviewed the ways through which the context shapes metaphor use and understanding.

Although group-living is widespread in animals, the degree of social complexity varies markedly within and among taxa. One important precondition for the evolution of higher forms of social complexity is increasing group size. However, this imposes a challenge: finding sufficient food for growing numbers of individuals. One hypothesis is that the (in)ability to avoid resource competition as group size increases, could partly explain variation in social complexity among vertebrates. Increasingly, evidence suggests that resource competition can be reduced via three forms of individual specialisation. These are foraging niche specialisation, specialisation to a role under division of labour (DoL), and as a mediator of these two, personality variation. Yet few studies have directly investigated the role of these specialisations in mediating the costs of increasing group size in social vertebrates. In this thesis, I first review the evidence to date that specialising to a foraging niche, and/or to a task under DoL, is (1) mediated via personality variation and (2) can be a means of reducing competition, generated by increasing group size, in social species (Chapter 2). Then, using the cooperative breeding chestnut-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus ruficeps) as my model system, I empirically test some of the hypotheses posed in this review, regarding foraging niche specialisation and associations with personality variation. In Chapter 3, I show that babblers do show personality variation in traits likely to facilitate niche segregation, and in Chapter 4 that variation among individuals within groups is sufficient to lead to intragroup niche specialisation. However, I find that the level of variation within groups is not associated with group size. Then in Chapter 5, I show that in a direct measure of foraging niche, there is only limited evidence for intragroup specialisation, and again that any specialisation is not associated with larger group sizes. I therefore find no evidence that niche specialisation is a means through which babblers can overcome the costs of increasing group size. I discuss the implications of these results for the rise of social complexity in this system, and social vertebrates generally.

Mimetics in Japanese comprise both onomatopoeic expressions (phonomimes) and other ideophones (phenomimes; psychomimes), which do not imitate acoustic phenomena. They can appear in various syntactic positions and adopt the syntactic functions of nouns in a referential phrase, predicates, attributes in a noun phrase and adverbs, with the latter being the most common usage. Since the stem of mimetic expressions such as SUTON ("thump"), KIRARI ("flash"), KYAAA ("Aaaah!") or GAN-GAN ("pounding") cannot be altered and common suffixes such as /N/, /RI/ and /Q/ (glottal stop) cannot be inflected, the syntactic function of mimetics in Japanese is determined by their position in the sentence and the particles (postpositions) used to indicate their function within a larger constituent. In colloquial speech, these particles may also be omitted, which sometimes results in the syntactic position being the only indicator of the syntactic function. However, when contrasting the grammatical usage of mimetics in data sources from various speech registers, it becomes apparent that not all mimetics are used with all particles and in all syntactic positions. Moreover, some mimetics may be combined with certain particles in idiomatic contexts, but would be used differently in spontaneous speech. For this reason, it is not surprising that opinions vary greatly when it comes to determining the distribution of individual mimetics, and mimetics as a class. This often results in L2 learners of Japanese being confused by contradictory statements in dictionaries and textbooks, which may not necessarily reflect the actual usage of mimetics in spoken Japanese and thus constitute an obstacle to effective language learning. The focus of this thesis is a description of the variable use of selected mimetics in attributive contexts, to shed light on the factors underlying the variation, and to establish whether a language change has been taking place in recent years. Empirical data collected from dictionaries, corpora, surveys and interviews shows that sociolinguistic factors such as gender, age and media exposure may influence the grammatical preferences of native speakers and their perception of mimetics. For this reason, both linguistic and extra-linguistic factors have to be taken into account in order to establish a grammatical framework for mimetics in Japanese.