ON SEVERAL PROPERTIES OF A CLASS OF PREFERENTIAL ATTACHMENT TREES—PLANE-ORIENTED RECURSIVE TREES

In this paper, several properties of a class of trees presenting preferential attachment phenomenon—plane-oriented recursive trees (PORTs) are uncovered. Specifically, we investigate the degree profile of a PORT by determining the exact probability mass function of the degree of a node with a fixed label. We compute the expectation and the variance of degree variable via a Pólya urn approach. In addition, we study a topological index, Zagreb index, of this class of trees. We calculate the exact first two moments of the Zagreb index (of PORTs) by using recurrence methods. Lastly, we determine the limiting degree distribution in PORTs that grow in continuous time, where the embedding is done in a Poissonization framework. We show that it is exponential after proper scaling.

On wh-exclamatives and gradability. An argument from Romance

This paper discusses a type ofwh-exclamative whosewh-component and degree component do not seem to go hand in hand. These arewh-exclamatives in Catalan whose movedwh-phrase is headed by the determinerquin‘what, which’, and whose NP contains an optional DegP headed bytan‘so’ ormés‘more’. By taking a closer look at thesewh-exclamatives, we will be able to contribute to the debate on the role of gradability and of thewh-component in the semantics ofwh-exclamatives. My claim is that the DegP in thesewh-exclamatives leaves behind a degree variable that is ultimately bound by an expressive speech act operator. Following Castroviejo (2006) and building on Rett (2009), I adhere to the claim thatwh-exclamatives in Catalan are necessarily scalar as a requirement of the expressive operator. Moreover, as a downward-monotonic operator, I show that it licenses upward-directed inferences, which ensures thatwh-exclamatives express unexpectedness toward a high degree.

Perceived student satisfaction and professional relevance in the Practicum

The investigation outlined proposes to discover and explain the degree of satisfaction and professional relevance by students of degrees in infant and primary education from the University of Jaen (Spain) in relation to the Practicum. The participants are 537 students from these degree courses. A scale is used to analyse the dimensions of the Practicum. In the different medians analysis performed, statistically significant differences found between the degree variable (infant vs primary) and type of Practicum (p<.01). Beta=.638,rt of the prediction,manceationThe regression study results indicate that the model variables (Factor 1 and Factor 2) explain 49.2% of the variance. In light of the results, the following are proposed as improvements: to boost the centres to participate and be involved in the design of the Practicum to achieve greater connection between the university classroom and the reality of schools, to enter the Practicum in the training curriculum of the students, and to review the assessment instruments, improve them and adapt them to new educational realities.

Towards a morphosyntactic analysis of -ish

This article deals with the morphosyntactic and semantic properties of the adjectives derived with the English morpheme -ish. The main goal of the paper is to outline a morphosyntactic analysis of -ish that: (i) accounts for its cross-categorial nature, (ii) derives its surface polysemy, and (iii) is compatible with Bochnak & Csipak's (2014) recent semantic analysis of deadjectival -ish (for example, reddish) and free-standing propositional -ish (for example, I liked the movie …ish) as a metalinguistic degree operator. Focusing on the analysis of the various subtypes of bounded -ish forms, this paper develops a unified morphosyntactic approach to -ish with a single shared semantics, and suggests that the cross-categorial and polysemous nature of -ish derives from three main closely interrelated factors: (i) the source of the degree variable that -ish targets, whether syntactic, lexical, or metalinguistic; (ii) the syntactic realization site of -ish; and (iii) the late insertion of the underspecified morpheme -ish.

A new metalinguistic degree morpheme

<p><span>In this paper, we discuss and analyze </span><em>...ish/-ish </em><span>in three of its uses: as a modifier of gradable adjectives; as a clause-final particle that hedges on a speaker’s degree of commitment to a proposition; and as a general precision-regulator. In each case, </span><em>-ish/. . . ish </em><span>makes reference to a degree that is slightly less than the standard for the constituent it applies to. We propose that proposition-modifying </span><em>. . . ish </em><span>belongs to the class of metalinguistic degree morphology alongside metalinguistic comparisons, which have received recent attention in the literature (e.g., </span><span>Giannakidou &amp; Yoon 2011; Morzycki 2011). </span><span>We argue for a unified analysis of ...</span><em>ish/-ish </em><span>as a degree modifier, where the relevant degree variable can be provided lexically, or through a type-shifting operation that makes available a degree of precision in the sense of </span><span>Morzycki </span><span>(2011). This study has implications for research on the semantics of metalinguistic degree morphology, imprecision, speaker-oriented phenomena, and the role of subjectification in semantic change. </span></p>

Japanese comparatives are semantically conjuncts: a dynamic view

This paper develops the differential-based semantics of comparatives, arguing that no generalized quantifier-type degree operator is involved in Japanese comparatives, and the yori ‘than’-clause introduces a degree variable, which is dynamically bound by the existential quantifier associated with a dif- ferential in the main clause. This approach accounts for the Japanese stacking comparative such as ‘A is fat(ter) than B is fat than C is fat(ter) than D is fat than E is fat(ter) than D is fat,’ meaning [the difference between A’s fatness and B’s fatness] &gt; [the difference between C’s fatness and D’s fatness] &gt; [the difference between E’s fatness and F’s fatness].

Japanese comparatives are semantically conjuncts: a dynamic view

This paper develops the differential-based semantics of comparatives, arguing that no generalized quantifier-type degree operator is involved in Japanese comparatives, and the yori ‘than’-clause introduces a degree variable, which is dynamically bound by the existential quantifier associated with a dif- ferential in the main clause. This approach accounts for the Japanese stacking comparative such as ‘A is fat(ter) than B is fat than C is fat(ter) than D is fat than E is fat(ter) than D is fat,’ meaning [the difference between A’s fatness and B’s fatness] &gt; [the difference between C’s fatness and D’s fatness] &gt; [the difference between E’s fatness and F’s fatness].

RECOGNITION OF CIS-REGULATORY ELEMENTS WITH VOMBAT

Variable order Markov models and variable order Bayesian trees have been proposed for the recognition of cis-regulatory elements, and it has been demonstrated that they outperform traditional models such as position weight matrices, Markov models, and Bayesian trees for the recognition of binding sites in prokaryotes. Here, we study to which degree variable order models can improve the recognition of eukaryotic cis-regulatory elements. We find that variable order models can improve the recognition of binding sites of all the studied transcription factors. To ease a systematic evaluation of different model combinations based on problem-specific data sets and allow genomic scans of cis-regulatory elements based on fixed and variable order Markov models and Bayesian trees, we provide the VOMBATserver to the public community.