Schematic Level Research Articles

Language change in a constructional network: the emergence of Mandarin [bi N hai N] comparative constructions

Abstract This paper explores the mechanisms of and motivations for two unconventional comparative constructions in Mandarin: [bi Ni hai Ni] and [bi Ni hai Nj]. They are unconventional in that the item expressing the dimension along which the comparison is made is a noun rather than an adjective. It is shown that [bi Ni hai Ni] emerges (i) by analogy with the conventional comparative construction [bi N hai A] and (ii) by inheriting the nominal feature from an existing construction [Adverb N], which is corroborated by a collexeme analysis. At a more schematic level, the extension A > N observed in [bi N hai A] > [bi Ni hai Ni] may have been modeled on the existing development from [Adverb A] to [Adverb N]. Analogical extension and inheritance also underlie the subsequent development from [bi Ni hai Ni] to [bi Ni hai Nj]. This study not only shows how language changes in a constructional network (including node creation and network reconfiguration), but also sheds light on the nature of horizontal links. It also demonstrates how a synchronically perceived relation between constructions may impact a later, similar language change.

Figurativeness of the Japanese flag

Abstract The analysis offered in this article applies the multilevel approach to conceptual metaphor to relief posters, created and distributed widely after the massive Japan 2011 earthquake. The aim of the analysis is to show in what way the multilevel approach to metaphor can be used to illustrate how the figurative meaning of relief posters emerges from the interactions between different levels of schematicity: from basic image schemas and domains, through contextually embedded semantic frames, finishing with metaphorical scenarios at the highest level of specificity and complexity. The present analysis also shows the potential applicability of image schemas as the guiding analytical element, serving as the departure point for the unfolding metaphorical and metonymical interpretation of a multimodal message. Accordingly, it has been shown how the image schemas of part-whole, full-empty, process and force aid the analysis of metaphoricity and how the central metonymic element of the national flag co-constructs the figurative reading of the posters.

Idiosyncratic entrenchment: tracing change in constructional schematicity with nested random effects

Abstract Usage-based constructionist approaches see language as an inventory of constructions at different levels of schematicity learned from the input. If so, personal constructicons should vary as a function of usage. Repeated use and chunking/entrenchment of concrete instances should lead to reanalysis of their internal structure and change in the level of schematicity. This paper exploits the reduction probability of is in it is as a diagnostic of reanalysis in a 1.75-million-word diachronic corpus of a single blogger over 8 years. All instances of it is/it’s (n = 10,929) were annotated at the constructional and lexical levels. A multilevel logistic regression model showed significant fixed effects of constructional entropy and construction-to-word association on reduction probability. Importantly, there remained substantial variation across lexical types of constructions in the extent to which they associated or became associated with reduction over time, suggesting idiosyncratic entrenchment and potential reanalysis as a function of usage.

Russian grammar as a constructicon: beyond a list

While linguistics traditionally keeps lexicon separate from grammar, Construction Grammar takes the grammatical construction as the basic unit of language. A grammatical construction integrates the roles of lexemes with their typical grammatical contexts, suggesting the advantages of a comprehensive approach. Furthermore, according to Construction Grammar, grammatical constructions comprise a system in which constructions mutually reinforce each other. We reveal the complex connections among Russian grammatical constructions that emerge from the Russian Constructicon, a resource with over 2200 annotated constructions. We achieve this by focusing on a single semantic subclass of 110 constructions labeled Sets and elements. Our analysis follows the connections among constructions through two domains: semantics and syntax. We find that all constructions fit into groupings at various levels of semantic schematicity, as well as presenting various syntactic dimensions. A given construction has affinities both to constructions with similar meanings and with similar form, and any given construction may have multiple affinities in either or both of these domains. Through our focus on multiword grammatical constructions, we reach beyond traditional approaches that separate words from grammar, instead viewing words in their grammatical context and grammar in its lexical context.

A multifactorial approach to war and corruption metaphors in South Asian Englishes

AbstractThe present paper provides a corpus‐based study of war and corruption metaphors in South Asian Englishes (specifically Indian English, Bangladeshi English, Nepali English and Pakistani English). Considering the highly news‐relevant nature of these concepts, the South Asian Varieties of English corpus (SAVE2020) serves as the database. In an initial step, we outline the source domains at different levels of schematicity used to construe war and corruption, revealing the salient domains at location and person. By pursuing a multifactorial approach, this study aims at answering the question whether the choice of source domain is governed by the sociolinguistic factors gender and variety, and intra‐linguistic factors, for example, length and semantic prosody of the metaphor‐related words. It furthermore investigates whether multifactorial analyses, which are still a novelty within research on metaphor variation, constitute a suitable methodological approach. By doing so, our research demonstrates the need to complement this quantitative approach with a qualitative one that offers a more fine‐grained description of the source domains used to structure metaphorical concepts like war and corruption.

A historical approach to models of emotional laterality

In this paper I discuss the main models that have tried to explain brain asymmetries for emotions. The first models, based on clinical observations, proposed either a general right hemisphere dominance for emotions (the’right hemisphere’) model or a different specialization of the right hemisphere for negative and of the left hemisphere for positive emotions (the‘valence’ model). In more recent times new models, based on partly modified versions of the previous ones have been proposed. The revised version of the ‘valence’ model, labeled the ‘approach-avoidance’ model maintained that hemispheric asymmetries are not related to the valence of the emotional stimulus but to the motivational (approach vs avoidance) system that is engaged by that stimulus. On the contrary, revised versions of the ‘right hemisphere’ hypothesis proposed graded versions of this model, maintaining that only some kinds or some levels of emotions are clearly right lateralized. One version of these models (the’emotion type hypothesis’) assumed that only elementary basic emotions should be subsumed by the right hemisphere, wheres more complex social emotions should be subtended by the left hemisphere. The other version (the ‘schematic level of emotion hypothesis’) assumed that the right hemisphere should subsume only the basic ‘schematic’ level of emotions, characterized by an automatic and unconscious processing, whereas the more propositional and conscious ‘conceptual’ level could be less lateralized or subsumed by the left hemisphere. This last model is supported by the obsevation that the right hemisphere reveals a modus operandi (i.e. a prevalence of the ‘automatic’ over the ‘intentional’ and of the ‘unconscious’ over the ‘conscious’ functional processing) that is typical of the ‘schematic level of emotions.

Image schemas in gestural metaphorical scenarios of swearing

Abstract The following study integrates the concept of image schema with the idea of gestural metaphorical scenario, showing how image schematic properties of gestures feed into a pragmatically-oriented gestural metaphorical scenario distributed across different speakers. The study shows that a gestural metaphorical scenario of swearing is based on several image schemas: the cognitively primary object image schema, the source-path-goal image schema, showing the trajectory of movement of an imaginary object, and the blockage image schema, enacting the meaning of not being willing to accept an imaginary object into the speaker’s personal space, effectively leading to blocking its way. The proposed integration also lends more credence to the idea of a multilevel metaphor, where a single metaphor is treated as consisting of various elements at different levels of schematicity. Apart from that, the study shows that the straight image schema, visible in pointing gestures, is a scenario-independent conceptual element surfacing when people use gestures while swearing, projecting a way out of the speaker’s personal space.

A 915 MHz Closed-Loop Self-Regulated RF Energy Harvesting System for Batteryless Devices

Batteryless devices are essential for hard-to-reach applications such as implantable biomedical devices.Powering such devices is a difficult task, and energy harvesting from the environment is mandatory. Among the power sources available in urban areas, RF signals stand out. However, the RF power at the receiving antenna is not constant, and energy-harvesting circuits should provide a stable DC output voltage. In this paper, we present an RF energy harvestingbased power management system that provides a stable 0.4-V DC supply voltage to power low-voltage systems. A closed-loop impedance matching tuning system is used to automatically regulate the system DC output voltage by tuning the input impedance matching network. The proposed circuit is implemented at schematic level in a 65-nm standard CMOS process.The entire system power efficiency (PCE) is 48.28% at the input power level of -14.92 dBm. The proposed solution is demonstrated for powering low-voltage devices with a regulated output voltage of 0.4 V and 16 uW resistive load.

A causal, time-independent synchronization pattern for collective adaptive systems

Artificial ants are “small” units, moving autonomously on a shared, dynamically changing “space”, directly or indirectly exchanging some kind of information. Artificial ants are frequently conceived as a paradigm for collective adaptive systems. In this paper, we discuss means to represent continuous moves of “ants” in discrete models. More generally, we challenge the role of the notion of “time” in artificial ant systems and models. We suggest a modeling framework that structures behavior along causal dependencies rather than temporal relations. We present all arguments with the help of a simple example. As a modeling framework we employ Heraklit; an emerging framework that has already proven its worth in many contexts. Different concrete collective systems share similar features, despite differences in the size of basic sets, concrete values of functions, etc., and can therefore be conceived as instantiations of a single schema. Hence, we need a representation of systems on the schematic level.

Analyzing the impact of parasitics on a CMOS-Memristive crossbar neural network based on winner-take-all and Hebbian rule

For cognitive tasks and classifications, neuromorphic systems have shown great potential. This paper presents a novel architecture using CMOS memristive synapses where the memristors are trained using the Hebbian rule, and the winner-take-all mechanism is used for the recognition task. The proposed architecture offers a simplified approach compared to previous state-of-the-art works, making it accessible for implementing pattern recognition tasks with in-memory computation. As the size of the memristive switching devices is in the nanometer scale, designing, modeling, and optimizing the system becomes increasingly complex. This complexity leads to various signal integrity issues that arise due to parasitic components of the crossbar. A crossbar array architecture is designed using the extracted crossbar’s parasitic components obtained using the Q3D extractor. The modeled architecture provides insight into the crossbar array’s parasitic affect behavior at the schematic level for different real-time applications and how the parasitics of the crossbar will affect the fidelity and performance of the system. The proposed architecture uses a threshold-based post-synaptic neuron, which does not require any capacitor, unlike the LIF neuron, and occupies a smaller area. A neuron refractory controller is designed to make the training process efficient by keeping track of the neuron already fired and preventing it from firing in the consecutive training phase. The CMOS memristive synapse uses an average of 0.32 nJ energy to recognize each pattern, much less than earlier works. The proposed architecture is validated using 180 nm CMOS technology.

Levels of Schematicity in Metaphorical Animal Nicknames: The Case Study of Koczkodan Nickname in Polish

The aim of this paper is to recognise the contemporary meaning of the nickname koczkodan in Polish [English: hag, frump; literally: a vervet monkey], based on extracts of real discurse taken from the Polish Corpus. This meaning has been obtained by examining the metaphors underlying the nickname, which are motivated by various contextual factors, e.g. the speaker’s gender and discourse registers in which the phrase is pronounced. Accordingly, the working CMT-CMA hybrid model is applied for the purpose of the study, which derives both from the extended view of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and from the discursive and critical view of metaphor within Critical Metaphor Analysis (CMA). The results obtained in the study reveal that the meaning of the koczkodan nickname is based on six metaphorical dynamic structures organised hierarchically, from the most schematic image schema that emerges at the very moment when the speaker needs to use the nickname, through more detailed metaphors at the levels of domains and frames, until the level of mental spaces is reached. This level is of great importance for the new meaning of the koczkodan nickname, as the integration of two incompatible input spaces (animal and human characteristics) are blended to form one single space. This results in the generation of a novel meaning of koczkodan in Polish, which makes reference not only to one’s physical ugliness but also to one’s evil character traits.

Investigating language transfer from a usage-based perspective

Aims and objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate language contact from a usage-based perspective. In particular, we test the explanatory power of a schematicity continuum, one of the central assumptions within usage-based approaches, in regard to these contact effects. In doing so, we aim to better understand how schematicity influences language transfer as well as learn more about the cognitive mechanism of schematicity itself. Design: The empirical focus of this study is on native German speakers living in the Netherlands who tend to experience a lot of language transfer from their second language Dutch to their native language German. The experiment consists of a production task containing constructions that differ in regard to their potential level of schematicity (i.e., lexically specific, partially schematic, fully schematic) and in the type of transfer that they might trigger (i.e., covert and overt transfer). Data and analysis: We compare production data of native German speakers living in the Netherlands ( N = 60) with those of a control group of speakers not in contact with Dutch ( N = 60), to establish whether the language use of these two groups differs. In addition, we analyze both speaker and item variation for the different constructions. Findings/conclusions: The speakers with Dutch contact show a number of contact effects, such as covert and overt transfer as well as hypercorrection regarding the use of certain constructions. Originality: The variation analysis reveals individual differences in how speakers use the different constructions. Some of these differences can be attributed to their mental levels of schematicity. Significance/implications: The study shows that transfer depends on schematicity. In doing so, it provides direct evidence for different levels of schematicity in speakers’ mental representations, demonstrating the usefulness of studying cognitive mechanisms within a language contact setting.

A Nonvolatile Compute-in-Memory Macro Using Voltage-Controlled MRAM and In Situ Magnetic-to-Digital Converter

Compute-in-Memory (CIM) accelerator has become a popular solution to achieve high energy efficiency for deep learning applications in edge devices. Recent works have demonstrated CIM macros using non-volatile memories (STT-MRAM, RRAM) to take advantages of their non-volatility and high density. However, effective computation dynamic range is far lower than their SRAM-CIM counterparts due to low device ON/OFF ratio. In this work, we combine a non-volatile memory based on a voltage-controlled magnetic tunneling junction (VC-MTJ) device, called voltage-controlled MRAM or VC-MRAM, and accurate switched-capacitor based CIM using a novel <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in-situ</i> Magnetic-to-Digital Converter (MDC). The VC-MTJ device has demonstrated 10× lower write energy and switching time compared to STT-MRAM device and has comparable density, read energy and read latency. The <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">in-situ</i> MDCs embedded inside each VC-MRAM row convert magnetically stored weight information to CMOS logic levels and enable switched-capacitor based multiply–accumulate (MAC) operation with accuracy comparable to state-of-the-art SRAM-CIM. This paper describes the schematic and layout level design of a VC-MRAM CIM macro in 28nm. This is the first non-volatile CIM design to enable analog MAC computation with 256 parallel rows turned ON simultaneously without degradation in dynamic range (< 1 LSB). Detailed circuit simulations including experimentally validated VC-MTJ compact models show 1.5× higher energy efficiency and 2× higher density compared to state-of-the-art SRAM-based CIM.

Analog IP blocks in 28 nm CMOS for the high energy physics community: SLVS transmitter and receiver

A Scalable Low Voltage Signaling (SLVS) transmitter and receiver have been developed as IP blocks in a 28 nm standard CMOS technology for the future upgrades for the high luminosity LHC. At the target data rate of 1.28 Gbps, the transmitter consumes 6 mW and the receiver consumes 2 mW. The transmitter’s output is powered with 1.2 V to provide compatibility with previous designs, while the core logic can be powered with 0.8 V to reduce power consumption. This work summarizes the design approach at the schematic and layout level. Practical aspects of the novel technology for the design of ASICs in High Energy Physics will be discussed along with characterization results. Other IP blocks are being designed (ADC, DAC, PLL) and they will be presented.

REPRESENTATION OF KASHMIRI INCIDENT IN INDIAN AND PAKISTANI NEWSPAPERS: A DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF BURHAN WANI’S CASE

The present study analyzes the projection of ideologies in Indian and Pakistani newspapers on the issue of Kashmir regarding Burhan Wani’s death. The study conducts the content analysis of newspaper articles Indian newspaper Times of India and Pakistani Dawn from the 8th of July 2016 to the 15th of July 2016. Articles have the potential to shape opinions and convey ideologies. In order to investigate the issue, this study explores the ideological representation in the discourse through the schematic and thematic level of discourse analysis. Van Dijk’s model (1988), “Structure of News in Press,” is applied to this research article. For this purpose, qualitative methods of data collection and analysis are used. Finally, it brings the results that article writers construct and form ideologies of the in-group, and the newspaper owners influence their ideologies. Analyzing articles from both newspapers reveals that articles cannot be treated as objective opinion pieces but as representative of their respective ideologies. Keywords: Kashmir, daily Dawn, Pakistan, Time of India, Burhan Wani

Neural correlates of linguistic collocations during continuous speech perception.

Language is fundamentally predictable, both on a higher schematic level as well as low-level lexical items. Regarding predictability on a lexical level, collocations are frequent co-occurrences of words that are often characterized by high strength of association. So far, psycho- and neurolinguistic studies have mostly employed highly artificial experimental paradigms in the investigation of collocations by focusing on the processing of single words or isolated sentences. In contrast, here we analyze EEG brain responses recorded during stimulation with continuous speech, i.e., audio books. We find that the N400 response to collocations is significantly different from that of non-collocations, whereas the effect varies with respect to cortical region (anterior/posterior) and laterality (left/right). Our results are in line with studies using continuous speech, and they mostly contradict those using artificial paradigms and stimuli. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first neurolinguistic study on collocations using continuous speech stimulation.

Efficient NIR quantum cutting of Eu3+/Yb3+ co-doped LiLa(PO3)4 for luminescent solar concentrators

An efficient near-infrared (NIR) quantum cutting (QC) process was provided from 5% Eu3+/Yb3+ co-doped LiLa(PO3)4 crystalline phosphor synthesized by solid reaction. The obtained phosphors are identified by X-ray diffraction, IR absorption spectroscopy, Raman scattering spectroscopy and SEM. The energy transfer from Eu3+ to Yb3+ ions in LiLa(PO3)4 was studied based on excitation and emission spectra as well as decay curves of the Eu3+ ion luminescence in mono-doped Eu3+ and co-doped Eu3+/Yb3+ phosphors. The emission intensity of Eu3+ decreases after co-doping with Yb3+. The conversion from the mono-exponential to bi-exponential shape of the decay curves as well as the drop in the lifetime of the Eu3+ emission in LiLa(PO3)4 after co-doping with Yb3+ prove the energy transfer from Eu3+ to Yb3+. The possible energy transfer mechanisms involved in different transitions are discussed and a schematic energy level diagrams was proposed. The quantum efficiency was calculated and estimated to be 168%. The obtained results revealed the importance of the NIR QC investigated in Eu3+/Yb3+ co-doped LiLa(PO3)4 for enhancing the photovoltaic conversion efficiency in c-Si solar cell through spectral modification.

On the Role of Source and Target Words’ Meanings in Metaphorical Conceptualizations

Abstract The paper argues that metaphorical expressions do more than just instantiate conceptual metaphors. The main aim is to emphasize the role source and target words’ meanings play in construing generic-level metaphors. The latter are taken to act as superordinate categories for other metaphors, occurring at various levels of schematicity. Identification of lower-level metaphors takes into account source words’ metaphorical senses, not the central meanings of the categories they represent. This method brings the issue of source words’ polysemy into play, and hence helps explain why metaphorical expressions relating to the same generic-level metaphor may activate different lower-level metaphors, which carry different metaphorical meanings.

Generating hypotheses for alternations at low and intermediate levels of schematicity. The use of Memory-based Learning

Abstract According to usage-based linguistics, language variation addresses a functional need of the language user. That functional need may be dependent on the lexical realization of the varying constructions. For instance, while it may be useful to have an argument structure alternation express a particular semantic distinction for particular verbs or themes, that same distinction may be less relevant for other verbs or themes. As such, it has been argued that language variation should be investigated at low levels of schematicity, e.g. by studying argument structure alternations separately for various verbs, themes, etc. In this paper, we develop a data-driven procedure to do so, based on Memory-based Learning (MBL). The procedure focusses on generating hypotheses, is scalable, and can work with small datasets. It consists of three steps: (i) choosing features for the MBL classifier, (ii) running MBL analyses and selecting which analyses to put under further scrutiny, and (iii) inspecting which features were most useful in predicting the choice of variant in these analyses. Finally, the hypotheses that are inferred from these features are put to the test on separate data. As an example study, we investigate the Dutch naar-alternation.

Synthesis, adjustable-color emission and energy transfer of Ba2MgSi2O7:Sm3+, Bi3+ phosphors

Ba2MgSi2O7:M (M = Bi3+, Sm3+, Sm3+/Bi3+) phosphors are synthesized in air by the high-temperature solid-state reaction method. All samples are confirmed to be a pure phase. With a 316 nm excitation wavelength, Ba2MgSi2O7:Bi3+ shows blue-white emission including a broad emission band in the range of 340 - 750 nm, and Ba2MgSi2O7:Sm3+, Bi3+ emits a adjustable-color light with the change of the ratio of Sm3+ to Bi3+ ions. Under excited at 402 nm, Ba2MgSi2O7:Sm3+ and Ba2MgSi2O7:Sm3+, Bi3+ emit orange-red light with emission spectrum region from 545 nm to 750 nm, which contain four emission bands peaking at ∼560, 598, 646 and 704 nm due to the 4G5/2 → 6H5/2, 6H7/2, 6H9/2, and 6H11/2 transitions of Sm3+ ion, respectively. Ba2MgSi2O7:Sm3+, Bi3+ under excitation at 316 nm can show a white-color emission by changing the ratio between Sm3+ and Bi3+ ions. Lifetimes of samples decrease with increasing doped ion (Sm3+ or Bi3+) concentration. We explain the luminous mechanism of samples by the schematic energy level diagrams of Bi3+ and Sm3+ ions in Ba2MgSi2O7:Sm3+, Bi3+.