Unstressed Vowels in German Learner English: An Instrumental Study

This study investigates the production of vowels in unstressed syllables by advanced German learners of English in comparison with native speakers of Standard Southern British English. Two acoustic properties were measured: duration and formant structure. The results indicate that duration of unstressed vowels is similar in the two groups, though there is some variation depending on the phonetic context. In terms of formant structure, learners produce slightly higher F1 and considerably lower F2, the difference in F2 being statistically significant for each learner. Formant values varied as a function of context and orthographic representation of the vowel

Disentangling Instrumental Features of the 130 GeV Fermi Line

We study the instrumental features of photons from the peak observed at $E_\gamma=130$ GeV in the spectrum of Fermi-LAT data. We use the {\sc sPlots} algorithm to reconstruct -- seperately for the photons in the peak and for background photons -- the distributions of incident angles, the recorded time, features of the spacecraft position, the zenith angles, the conversion type and details of the energy and direction reconstruction. The presence of a striking feature or cluster in such a variable would suggest an instrumental cause for the peak. In the publically available data, we find several suggestive features which may inform further studies by instrumental experts, though the size of the signal sample is too small to draw statistically significant conclusions.Comment: 9 pages, 22 figures; this version includes additional variables, study of stat sensitivity, and modification to the chi-sq calculatio

Home Visitation: A Case Study of Evaluation at The David and Lucile Packard Foundation

This case study describes how a long-term investment in evaluation was instrumental to a foundation strategy to support home visitation and education to parents about effective interaction with their young children. The case illustrates the substantial impact an evaluation can have on a field

On switched Hamiltonian systems

In this paper we study the well-posedness and stability of a class of switched linear passive systems. Instrumental in our approach is the result, also of interest in its own right, that any linear passive input-state-output system with strictly positive storage function can be written as a port-Hamiltonian system

The Effects of Emotion-Focused versus Instrumental Rumination on the Provision of Social Support

Victims of negative events often report that they do not receive the expected and desired social support (e.g., Dunkel-Schetter, 1984). The current study investigated the impact of two types of victim rumination and gender role expectations on support provision and receipt. Using a 2 (Instrumental vs. Emotion-Focused Rumination) x 2 (Victim Gender) x 2 (Participant Gender) between-subjects factorial design, 136 undergraduate students interacted with one of four "burglary victims" for eight minutes, providing both behavioral and questionnaire data. Results suggest that instrumental ruminators receive more support than emotion-focused ruminators. Women provided more support to victims than did men. Additionally, male victims' coping was evaluated more positively than female victims' coping, regardless of rumination type

A SURVEY ON MOTIVATIONAL ORIENTATION IN LEARNING EFL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION POST GRADUATE STUDENTS OF JENDERAL SOEDIRMAN UNIVERSITY

This study investigated instrumental and integrative motivations (motivational orientation) of a group of EFL students, namely post graduate students of Public Administration in Jenderal Soedirman University. Students learned English intensively because they were projected to apply for scholarships in Burapha University in Thailand that had an MOU with Jenderal Soedirman University. Students were going to undertake a sandwiches program in Burapha University, Thailand. A motivation questionnaire was developed and distributed to 12 students consisting of 5 male and 7 females. After that, they were interviewed. It was expected that the students joined in this project would have a high motivation to learn English for a selection process. However, an instrumental motivation was found to be the main reason for the students to learn English. The motivational orientation functioned as a motivation initiator that subsequently enhanced the motivational drive in learning the target languag

The effect of climate change adaptation strategies on bean yield in central and northern Uganda

This paper analyses the impact of adaptation to climate change on bean productivity on a micro-scale using instrumental variable techniques in a two-stage econometric model, using data collected from farming households in northern and central Uganda. We employed the bivariate probit technique to model simultaneous and interdependent adoption decisions, and the ordered probit to model the intensity of adaptation. We modelled the impact of adaptation using instrumental variables and the control function approach because of the potential endogeneity of the adaptation decision. The driving forces behind adoption of the two selected adaptation strategies were heterogeneous. Location-specific factors influenced the intensity of adaptation between the two study regions. The effect of adaptation was stronger for households that used a higher number of strategies, evidence that the two adaptation strategies need to be used simultaneously by farmers to maximise the positive impact of adaptation

Using authentic 3D product visualisation for an electrical online retailer

This study investigates the effects of authentic three dimensional (3D) product visualisation versus 3D telepresence on consumers’ virtual experience. A hypothetical electrical retailer Web site presents a variety of laptops using 3D product visualisations for the within-subjects laboratory experiments. The first experiment uses two-way repeated measures ANOVA to determine the effects of the antecedents on 3D authenticity. In a second experiment, a one-way ANOVA compares telepresence and authenticity scores. This research uses a U.K. sample to investigate the effects of control and animated colours on 3D authenticity and the effects of 3D authenticity on experiential and instrumental values. The results reveal significant differences between telepresence and authenticity constructs. Authenticity is more significant in simulating an online retailer’s products, and control and animated colours represent the main antecedents of authenticity. Moreover, experiential and instrumental values represent the main consequences of 3D authenticity

An Investigation of Ancient Hebrew Music During the Time of the Old Testament: Especially the Role of Music in the Lives of Israel\u27s First Two Kings, Saul and David

Music has always been an inextricable component of Jewish culture from its beginnings. Even before the construction of the Temple, music was used for worship, feasts, festivals, and various other cultural activities. Since much of this music involves the singing of texts, poetry was also a central part of the Jewish music culture. Singing in ancient Israel often involved instrumental accompaniment. The Bible records the texts of much musical activity. Instrumental music, vocal music, and accompanied vocal music are found throughout the Bible. Instrumental music is found in 1 Samuel 16 when David played his harp to soothe Saul and in 1 Samuel 19 when Saul tried to kill David when a troubling spirit came upon him. When men were coming back from battle in 1 Samuel 18, women played instruments and sang songs of David’s greatness. Psalms 16, 24, and 64 are great representations of Hebrew vocal music written by David. Music played a central role in the lives of the first two kings of Israel. This study will encompass a discussion of the role of music in the lives of the first two kings of Israel, Saul and David