Specific

The goal of this paper is to explore the lexical-syntactic structure of
copulative constructions and argument small clauses within the framework proposed by
Gallego & Uriagereka (2011) for the Individual-Level/Stage-Level distinction (Carlson
1988, Kratzer 1995) and implement their theory by claiming that there is a crucial
correlation between IL/SL constructions and their information structure. I argue that IL
subjects are topics (and hence this is a categorical construction, following Kuroda 1972,
Milsark 1977 and Raposo & Uriagereka 1995), whereas in SL constructions the topic may
either be the subject or a silent spatiotemporal argument (their construction being thetic).
I show the topic nature of IL subjects in contexts of specificity and subextraction. I
ultimately derive the IS of IL/SL constructions from their lexical-syntactic structure and
identify the type of topic here as an Aboutness-Topic (in the sense of Frascarelli &
Hunterhölzl 2007, Lambrecht 1994, Erteschik-Shir 1997).

One major controversy in the study of code-switching (CS) has been the treatment of structural regularities or patterns. Formal approaches attribute these patterns to syntactic constraints or models that are independent of socio-pragmatic or discourse factors, and hence they fall short of accounting for the variation and diachrony of CS constructions. Functional approaches call for due consideration of inter- and intra-speaker variation and discourse or processing factors, but they do not seem to go very far in pinpointing precisely what factors motivate a particular structural pattern. This paper attempts to integrate these two approaches in examining an emergent pattern in Cantonese–English CS in which postmodifying phrases are attested with English prepositions. The form of the construction may well be captured by some version of the Null Theory, but nonetheless it has little to say about why it is a new and variant pattern in Cantonese–English CS. This paper suggests that the construction is prompted by discourse factors such as salience, information status (i.e. given versus new) and heaviness (of the modifying noun phrase); typological differences (i.e. word order difference between Cantonese and English) and syntactic properties of words (such as prepositions) also have a role to play. Diachronically, this paper suggests that the construction evolves from a continuous English noun phrase with a further switch, which this paper terms “reinsertion”, within this noun phrase. Variants and possible changes of this postmodifier construction are also discussed in the light of “reinsertion” and “schematization”.

We offer a new analysis of the semantics of the English it-cleft, building on recent work on exclusive particles such as "only." The analysis emphasizes the discourse function of clefts — which, we claim, is to terminate a line of inquiry by marking an answer as complete. It accounts for the semantic effects — not previously appreciated — of focus placement within the cleft pivot. It also provides a solution to a previously discussed problem with the projection of exhaustivity from embedded contexts.

— This paper presents a virtual model of patients with Deep Brain Stimulation implants. The model is based on Human Connectome and 7 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data. We envision that the proposed virtual patient simulator will enable radio frequency power dosimetry on patients with deep brain stimulation implants undergoing MRI. Results from the proposed virtual patient study may facilitate the use of clinical MRI instead of computed tomography scans. The virtual patient will be flexible and morphable to relate to patient-specific neurological and psychiatric conditions such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, which benefit from deep brain stimulation.