scholarly journals The symbolic dimensions of whale bone use in Thule winter dwellings

2008 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 137-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Katherine Patton ◽  
James M. Savelle
Keyword(s):  
Principal Components Analysis ◽  
Principal Components ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Southeastern Coast ◽  
Socio Economic Status ◽  
Utility Index ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
Somerset Island

AbstractThe Thule whale bone house is one of the most impressive features of the arctic landscape. Bowhead whale bone elements within 18 Thule winter houses along the southeastern coast of Somerset Island (Nunavut) were mapped and the patterning of these elements was investigated through the application of a bowhead architectural utility index and through principal components analysis. The results suggest that while whale bone was initially selected for dwelling construction on the basis of architectural value, socio-economic status may be reflected in the positioning of certain bone elements. Informed by historic North Alaskan Inupiat analogies, the positioning of various elements within the entrance tunnel in particular appears to have been related to whale symbolism.

Diagnoses Generated by Numerical Taxonomic Methods Applied to Standard Blood Variables

1980 ◽  
Vol 19 (04) ◽  
pp. 205-209
Author(s):  
L. A. Abbott ◽  
J. B. Mitton
Keyword(s):  
Liver Cirrhosis ◽  
Renal Disease ◽  
Principal Components Analysis ◽  
Discriminant Function ◽  
Principal Components ◽  
Discriminant Function Analysis ◽  
Chronic Renal Disease ◽  
Function Analysis ◽  
Infectious Hepatitis ◽  
Components Analysis

Data taken from the blood of 262 patients diagnosed for malabsorption, elective cholecystectomy, acute cholecystitis, infectious hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, or chronic renal disease were analyzed with three numerical taxonomy (NT) methods : cluster analysis, principal components analysis, and discriminant function analysis. Principal components analysis revealed discrete clusters of patients suffering from chronic renal disease, liver cirrhosis, and infectious hepatitis, which could be displayed by NT clustering as well as by plotting, but other disease groups were poorly defined. Sharper resolution of the same disease groups was attained by discriminant function analysis.

Assamese vowels and vowel harmony

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-183
Author(s):  
Diana B. Archangeli ◽  
Jonathan Yip
Keyword(s):  
Physical Properties ◽  
Principal Components Analysis ◽  
Principal Components ◽  
Vowel Harmony ◽  
Language Community ◽  
Acoustic Data ◽  
Apparent Loss ◽  
Root Position ◽  
Components Analysis ◽  
Open Question

AbstractBased on impressionistic and acoustic data, Assamese is described as having a phonological tongue root harmony system, with blocking by certain phonological configurations and over-application in certain morphological contexts. This study explores physical properties of the patterns using ultrasonic imaging to determine whether the impressionistic descriptions match what speakers actually do. Principal components analysis (PCA) determines that most participants produce a contrast in tongue root position in the appropriate contexts, though there is less of an impact on tongue root with greater distance from the triggering vowel. Analysis uses the root mean squared distance (RMSD) calculation to determine whether both blocking and over-application take effect. The blocking results conform to the impressionistic descriptions. With over-application, [e] and [o] are expected; while some speakers clearly produce these vowels, others articulate a vowel that is indeterminant between the expected [e]/[o] and an unexpected [ɛ]/[ɔ]. No speaker consistently showed the expected tongue root position in all contexts, and some speakers appeared to have lost the contrast entirely, yet all are considered to be speakers of the same dialect of Assamese. Whether this (apparent) loss is a consequence of crude research methodologies or accurately reflects what is happening within the language community remains an open question.

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