Measuring sign complexity: Comparing a theory-driven and a data-driven approach

The study of articulatory complexity has proven to yield useful insights into the phonological mechanisms of spoken languages. In sign languages, this type of knowledge is scarcely documented. The current study compares a data-driven measure and a theory-driven measure of complexity for signs in French Sign Language (LSF). The former measure is based on error rates of handshape, location, orientation, movement and sign fluidity in a repetition task administered to non-signers; the latter measure is derived by applying a feature-geometry model of sign description on the same set of signs. A significant correlation is found between the two measures for the overall complexity. When looking at the impact of individual phonemic classes on complexity, a significant correlation is found for handshape and location but not for movement. We discuss how these results indicate that a fine-grained theoretical model of sign phonology/phonetics reflects the degree of complexity as resulting from the perceptual and articulatory properties of signs.

Exploring Networks of Lexical Variation in Russian Sign Language

When describing variation at the lexical level in sign languages, researchers often distinguish between phonological and lexical variants, using the following principle: if two signs differ in only one of the major phonological components (handshape, orientation, movement, location), then they are considered phonological variants, otherwise they are considered separate lexemes. We demonstrate that this principle leads to contradictions in some simple and more complex cases of variation. We argue that it is useful to visualize the relations between variants as graphs, and we describe possible networks of variants that can arise using this visualization tool. We further demonstrate that these scenarios in fact arise in the case of variation in color terms and kinship terms in Russian Sign Language (RSL), using a newly created database of lexical variation in RSL. We show that it is possible to develop a set of formal rules that can help distinguish phonological and lexical variation also in the problematic scenarios. However, we argue that it might be a mistake to dismiss the actual patterns of variant relations in order to arrive at the binary lexical vs. phonological variant opposition.

Magnetic Guiding with Permanent Magnets: Concept, Realization and Applications to Nanoparticles and Cells

The idea of remote magnetic guiding is developed from the underlying physics of a concept that allows for bijective force generation over the inner volume of magnet systems. This concept can equally be implemented by electro- or permanent magnets. Here, permanent magnets are in the focus because they offer many advantages. The equations of magnetic fields and forces as well as velocities are derived in detail and physical limits are discussed. The special hydrodynamics of nanoparticle dispersions under these circumstances is reviewed and related to technical constraints. The possibility of 3D guiding and magnetic imaging techniques are discussed. Finally, the first results in guiding macroscopic objects, superparamagnetic nanoparticles, and cells with incorporated nanoparticles are presented. The constructed magnet systems allow for orientation, movement, and acceleration of magnetic objects and, in principle, can be scaled up to human size.

EUROPEAN LEGAL EXPERIENCE OF ENSURING THE LIFE ACTIVITY OF COAL MONOCITIES IN THE CONDITIONS OF ENERGY TRANSFORMATION

The article is devoted to the analysis of the features of ensuring the life of coal monofunctional cities in the conditions of energy transformation, which should be based not only on the legal definitions of the main categories, but also on the legal qualifications and the ratio of their object-subject compositions. It was determined that the Energy Strategy of Ukraine — 2035 focuses on the subject composition of certain types of transformation relations, while the object circle, after a complete rejection of coal in the energy sector and the termination of any subsidies to this sector, requires: coordination of structural changes with all stakeholders including the local population; basing plans for diversifying the economy, restructuring the coal industry, developing the infrastructure of post-coal regions on appropriate financial support, creating trust funds that will combine state, private and international assistance of various levels; transformation of unprofitable mines and, first of all, as an integral technically and organizationally separate (single) property complex of funds and resources. The concept of “coal monofunctional city” — a satellite of a city-forming enterprise for the extraction and processing of coal — an administrative-territorial unit, the specialization of labor of the population in which is determined by a set of directions for ensuring the operation of this enterprise and the life of its employees is proposed. The concept of “life activity of an employee of a coal mining enterprise is proposed — a set of daily processes, actions, activities that can ensure the existence of an employee, his family members, the entire workforce as a whole through training, communication, orientation, movement, self-service, control over his behavior, participation in labor activities with the help of physical, psychological and social functions”. It has been substantiated that the considered experience of such European coal-mining countries as Germany, Ro mania, Czech Republic, Poland, Great Britain can and should be adapted in the process of developing domestic con ceptual, strategic or program documents to support the life of coal monocities in the following blocks of relations: energy; environmental; social; economic; informational; administrative; housing and communal services; transport; law enfor cement.

Multispectral intravital microscopy for simultaneous bright-field and fluorescence imaging of the microvasculature

Intravital video microscopy permits the observation of microcirculatory blood flow. This often requires fluorescent probes to visualize structures and dynamic processes that cannot be observed with conventional bright-field microscopy. Conventional light microscopes do not allow for simultaneous bright-field and fluorescent imaging. Moreover, in conventional microscopes, only one type of fluorescent label can be observed. This study introduces multispectral intravital video microscopy, which combines bright-field and fluorescence microscopy in a standard light microscope. The technique enables simultaneous real-time observation of fluorescently-labeled structures in relation to their direct physical surroundings. The advancement provides context for the orientation, movement, and function of labeled structures in the microcirculation.

Experimental Assessment of Feature Extraction Techniques Applied to the Identification of Properties of Common Objects, Using a Radar System

Radar technology has evolved considerably in the last few decades. There are many areas where radar systems are applied, including air traffic control in airports, ocean surveillance, and research systems, to cite a few. Other types of sensors have recently appeared, which allow tracking sub-millimeter motion with high speed and accuracy rates. These millimeter-wave radars are giving rise to myriad new applications, from the recognition of the material close objects are made, to the recognition of hand gestures. They have also been recently used to identify how a person interacts with digital devices through the physical environment (Tangible User Interfaces, TUIs). In this case, the radar is used to detect the orientation, movement, or distance from the objects to the user’s hands or the digital device. This paper presents a thoughtful comparative analysis of different feature extraction techniques and classification strategies applied on a series of datasets that cover problems such as the identification of materials, element counting, or determining the orientation and distance of objects to the sensor. The results outperform previous works using these datasets, especially when the accuracy was lowest, showing the benefits feature extraction techniques have on classification performance.

Frame Disputes or Frame Consensus? “Environment” or “Welfare” First Amongst Climate Strike Protesters

Present debates suppose a close linkage between economic, social, and environmental sustainability and suggest that individual wellbeing and living standards need to be understood as directly linked to environmental concerns. Because social movements are often seen as an avant-garde in pushing for change, this article analyzes climate protesters’ support for three key frames in current periods of social transformation, i.e., an “environmental”, an “economic growth”, and a “welfare” frame. The analyzed data material consists of survey responses from over 900 participants in six Global Climate Strikes held in Sweden during 2019. The article investigates the explanatory relevance of three factors: (a) political and ideological orientation, (b) movement involvement, and (c) social characteristics. The results indicate that climate protesters to a large degree support an environmental frame before an economic growth-oriented frame, whereas the situation is more complex regarding support for a welfare frame vis-á-vis an environmental frame. The strongest factors explaining frame support include social characteristics (gender) and protestors’ political and ideological orientation. Movement involvement has limited significance. The article shows how these frames form a fragment of the complexity of these issues, and instances of frame distinctions, hierarchies, and disputes emerge within the most current forms of climate change demonstrations.

Assessing the Building’s Developments on the Human Perception: The Case Study of Imam Al-Hussein Shrine in Karbala, Iraq

This paper investigates the implications of buildings’ developments of Imam Hussein Holy Shrine in Karbala, Iraq. It is questioning the space perception from within normal and expert human experience. The investigation spans a decade of reflections since the new shrine development accomplished. The ratio between mass and void have been changed significantly and thus led to alterations in viewing angles, inclusion, visual axis’s, orientation, movement, and human sense of scale. Those developments were encompassing, the addition of a new floor to the existing outer wall building, adding huge steel columns, covering the open-to-sky courtyard of the shrine, and extending the old boundaries of the shrine outwardly 10 meters using arched floors.The purpose is to tackle the current problem of how the shrine’s developments have affected the space perception, hierarchical order of space, and the induced new sensual spatial activities, such as eating, sleeping, and gathering. This paper therefore aims to address the current question of how the shrine’s developments have changed the individual’s experience in perceiving the inner spaces and other building’s components. It was hypothesized that an analysis of the perception of Holy Shrine of Imam Hussain's developments can provide clear answers of the urban changes, which were occurred. The findings showed that the space inclusion has increased while the viewing angles, visual axis’s, continuous movement, and human scale have reduced. Further work will include the influences of the socio-economic and environmental factors in relation to the existing spaces and activities in the analysis and compare the findings with other similar shrine cases, like the Holy Shrine of Imam Al-Abbas.

The Influence of Coordination Training on the Index Level of Coordination Motor Abilities in Greco-Roman Wrestlers Aged 13—14

Wrestling belongs to the group of sports disciplines with complex movement activities in which an essential role is played by coordination motor abilities (CMA). A high level of coordination improvement since the earliest years positively influences the process of learning new movements as well as enables to make a more effective use of technical and tactical skills during a sports fight. Therefore, the formation of coordination abilities since the earliest years isthe condition of training young wrestlers effectively .The aim of this study was to show the influence of coordination training on the changes in coordination motor abilities (CMA) in Greco-Roman wrestlers aged 13—14. Boys practising Greco-Roman wrestling (n = 32) in the Student Sports Club UKS “Dwójka” in Radom took part in the research. They were divided into two groups that were at the same sports level: the experimental one (n = 16) and the control one (n = 16). As for those groups, no significant differences concerning somatic features (body mass, height and slenderness indices) were noticed at the beginning and at the end of the experiment, which excluded the influence of puberty on the obtained experiment results. Seven CMA (kinesthetic differentiation, rhythmization, time-space orientation, movement combining, motor adjustment, speed of reaction, balance) were evaluated on the basis of 14 indices. For that reason sports-motor tests of various authors were applied. The tests were first checked in the context of reliability and accuracy. The basic research method was a six-month pedagogical experiment. It involved implementing a larger number of means of different coordination complexity (low, medium, high) in the training of the experimental group. The control group took part only in the classical wrestling training. The experiment included 84 training sessions. The applied means equally influenced all examined coordination abilities. The total volume of such exercises in the whole experiment was 180 minutes per each examined ability. Moreover, special coordination exercises in the form of circuit training as well as coordination wrestling games and plays were applied once a week. The total work volume in both groups was the same. It was observed that sportsmen undergoing coordination training obtained higher values of the examined indices of CMA than those from the control group (p < 0.05). The highest significant increase was noted in the case of rhythmization, maintaining body balance and motor adjustment. The increase ranged from 12.6% to 27.5%. The lowest increase was noticed in the case of movement combining, kinesthetic differentiation and time-space orientation. In this case the increase ranged between 4.7% and 7.3%. Statistically significant differences in CMA between theexperimental and the control group were observed after the experiment (p < 0.05). The obtained research results make it possible to draw the following conclusions: 1. The increase in the volume of varied complexity coordination exercises in the training of wrestlers contributed to a considerable improvement in the level of CMA, i. e. by 11.4% on average, whereas in the group performing traditional training the improvement was only by 3%. 2. The gain score of coordination abilities in wrestlers aged 13—14 was the biggest in the case of the following CMA: rhythmization (19.1%), body balance (17.3%), motor adjustment (15.1%) and speed of reaction (11.3%). The smallest gain score was noticed in movement combining (4.7%), kinesthetic differentiation (4.9%) and time-space orientation (7.1%). 3. After the experiment there occurred significant differences in the level of most indices of CMA in the experimental and control group, which shows that there may exist considerable reserves in the area of CMA. Autonomous coordination training ought to become an essential part of the process of training in wrestling.Keywords: Greco-Roman wrestling, coordination training, coordination motor abilities.