Dependency length minimization and its limits: a possible role for a probabilistic version of the Final-Over-Final Condition (to appear in Language)

A prominent principle in explaining a range of word order regularities is dependency locality, i.e. a principle that minimizes the linear distances (dependency lengths) between the head and its dependents. However, it remains unclear to what extent language users in fact observe locality when producing sentences under diverse conditions of cross-categorical harmony (such as the placement of verbal and nominal heads on the same vs different sides of their dependents), dependency direction (head-final vs head-initial) and parallel vs. hierarchical dependency structures (e.g. multiple adjectives dependent on the same head vs nested genitive dependents). Using 45 dependency-annotated corpora of diverse languages, we find that after controlling for harmony and conditioning on dependency types, dependency length minimization (DLM) is inversely correlated with the overall presence of head-final dependencies. This anti-DLM effect in sentences with more head-final dependencies is specifically associated with an accumulation of dependents in parallel structures and with disharmonic orders in hierarchical structures. We propose a detailed interpretation of these results and tentatively suggest a role for a probabilistic principle that favors embedding head-initial (e.g. VO) structures inside equally head-initial and thereby length-minimizing structures (e.g. relative clauses after the head noun) while head-final (OV) structures have a less pronounced preference for harmony and DLM. This is in line with earlier findings in research on the Greenbergian word order universals and with a probabilistic version of what has been suggested as the Final-Over-Final Condition more recently.

Hierarchical Modeling of Label Dependency and Label Noise in Fine-grained Entity Typing

Fine-grained entity typing (FET) aims to annotate the entity mentions in a sentence with fine-grained type labels. It brings plentiful semantic information for many natural language processing tasks. Existing FET approaches apply hard attention to learn on the noisy labels, and ignore that those noises have structured hierarchical dependency. Despite their successes, these FET models are insufficient in modeling type hierarchy dependencies and handling label noises. In this paper, we directly tackle the structured noisy labels by combining a forward tree module and a backward tree module. Specifically, the forward tree formulates the informative walk that hierarchically represents the type distributions. The backward tree models the erroneous walk that learns the noise confusion matrix. Empirical studies on several benchmark data sets confirm the effectiveness of the proposed framework.

Regional Integration Through Locality

Multi-level governance suggests that there should be no hierarchical dependency relationship between policy actors of different policy levels. In fact, the model hinges on the independent interaction of local and regional governments at national and supra-national levels without the mediating role and status of national governments. This development in fact parallels the acceptance of cities and local governments as policy actors. MLG is not a magic cure to heal every illness, but it is a method and an action plan for tackling problems. It is being used in various areas by the EU to realize European cohesion. The first and foremost among these areas is urban policies and urban regeneration practices. The EU has adopted the integrated urban regeneration approach to decrease the problems associated with social exclusions and the regeneration of problematic urban areas. Together with the enlargement process, cohesion efforts have increased, and urban programs subsidized by the EU have been implemented intensively in central, eastern, and southern European states.

The hourglass effect in hierarchical dependency networks

Many hierarchically modular systems are structured in a way that resembles an hourglass. This “hourglass effect” means that the system generates many outputs from many inputs through a relatively small number of intermediate modules that are critical for the operation of the entire system, referred to as the waist of the hourglass. We investigate the hourglass effect in general, not necessarily layered, hierarchical dependency networks. Our analysis focuses on the number of source-to-target dependency paths that traverse each vertex, and it identifies the core of a dependency network as the smallest set of vertices that collectively cover almost all dependency paths. We then examine if a given network exhibits the hourglass property or not, comparing its core size with a “flat” (i.e., non-hierarchical) network that preserves the source dependencies of each target in the original network. As a possible explanation for the hourglass effect, we propose the Reuse Preference model that captures the bias of new modules to reuse intermediate modules of similar complexity instead of connecting directly to sources or low complexity modules. We have applied the proposed framework in a diverse set of dependency networks from technological, natural, and information systems, showing that all these networks exhibit the general hourglass property but to a varying degree and with different waist characteristics.

Współdziałanie organów administracji rządowej i samorządowej w stanach nadzwyczajnych

COOPERATION BETWEEN GOVERNMENTAL AND SELF-GOVERNMENTAL ADMINISTRATION DURING EXTRAORDINARY MEASURESThe system of territorial self-government is based on independence of its tiers — communes, districts and voivodships — which is expressed in their independence in two relational systems: between tiers within the system of territorial self-government, and between tiers of local self-government and governmental authorities. However, at the same time, independence does not exclude their cooperation in both relational systems because agreements, unions, and associations, in which tiers of territorial self-government participate, and also associations of tiers of territorial self-government with governmental authorities, allow for common performance of public tasks or for their delegation. The above-mentioned forms are not initiated without the will of tiers of local self-government and they do not build hierarchical dependency between their participants. The imposition of every extraordinary measure has a great influence on those relations because, despite the declaration of normal functioning of public authorities in case of the imposition of extraordinary measure, not only extraordinary competences of heads of the communes and starost’s in relation to entities functioning on the territory of their jurisdiction arise but also atypical relations between starost, commune head, and governor, and even between central authorities and starost. The aim of this article is to identify and analyze the mentioned relations which are provided by provisions of acts regulating conditions of imposition of every extraordinary measure.

Drosophila histone locus bodies form by hierarchical recruitment of components

Nuclear bodies are protein- and RNA-containing structures that participate in a wide range of processes critical to genome function. Molecular self-organization is thought to drive nuclear body formation, but whether this occurs stochastically or via an ordered, hierarchical process is not fully understood. We addressed this question using RNAi and proteomic approaches in Drosophila melanogaster to identify and characterize novel components of the histone locus body (HLB), a nuclear body involved in the expression of replication-dependent histone genes. We identified the transcription elongation factor suppressor of Ty 6 (Spt6) and a homologue of mammalian nuclear protein of the ataxia telangiectasia–mutated locus that is encoded by the homeotic gene multisex combs (mxc) as novel HLB components. By combining genetic manipulation in both cell culture and embryos with cytological observations of Mxc, Spt6, and the known HLB components, FLICE-associated huge protein, Mute, U7 small nuclear ribonucleoprotein, and MPM-2 phosphoepitope, we demonstrated sequential recruitment and hierarchical dependency for localization of factors to HLBs during development, suggesting that ordered assembly can play a role in nuclear body formation.