A lexical database tool for quantitative phonological research

A lexical database tool tailored for phonological research is described. Database fields include transcriptions, glosses and hyperlinks to speech files. Database queries are expressed using HTML forms, and these permit regular expression search on any combination of fields. Regular expressions are passed directly to a Perl CGI program, enabling the full flexibility of Perl extended regular expressions. The regular expression notation is extended to better support phonological searches, such as search for minimal pairs. Search results are presented in the form of HTML or LaTeX tables, where each cell is either a number (representing frequency) or a designated subset of the fields. Tables have up to four dimensions, with an elegant system for specifying which fragments of which fields should be used for the row/column labels. The tool offers several advantages over traditional methods of analysis: (i) it supports a quantitative method of doing phonological research; (ii) it gives universal access to the same set of informants; (iii) it enables other researchers to hear the original speech data without having to rely on published transcriptions; (iv) it makes the full power of regular expression search available, and search results are full multimedia documents; and (v) it enables the early refutation of false hypotheses, shortening the analysis-hypothesis-test loop. A life-size application to an African tone language (Dschang) is used for exemplification throughout the paper. The database contains 2200 records, each with approximately 15 fields. Running on a PC laptop with a stand-alone web server, the `Dschang HyperLexicon' has already been used extensively in phonological fieldwork and analysis in Cameroon.Comment: 7 pages, uses ipamacs.st

Automated tone transcription

In this paper I report on an investigation into the problem of assigning tones to pitch contours. The proposed model is intended to serve as a tool for phonologists working on instrumentally obtained pitch data from tone languages. Motivation and exemplification for the model is provided by data taken from my fieldwork on Bamileke Dschang (Cameroon). Following recent work by Liberman and others, I provide a parametrised F_0 prediction function P which generates F_0 values from a tone sequence, and I explore the asymptotic behaviour of downstep. Next, I observe that transcribing a sequence X of pitch (i.e. F_0) values amounts to finding a tone sequence T such that P(T) {}~= X. This is a combinatorial optimisation problem, for which two non-deterministic search techniques are provided: a genetic algorithm and a simulated annealing algorithm. Finally, two implementations---one for each technique---are described and then compared using both artificial and real data for sequences of up to 20 tones. These programs can be adapted to other tone languages by adjusting the F_0 prediction function.Comment: 12 pages, 4 postscript figures, uses examples.sty, newapa.sty, latex-acl.sty, ipamacs.st

The search for D0→e±μ∓D^0\to{}e^{\pm}\mu^{\mp}

An overview is presented of a method to search for $D^0\to{}e^{\pm}\mu^{\mp}$ with LHCb data. In order to reduce combinatorial backgrounds, tagged $D^0$ candidates from the decay $D^{\ast+}\to{}D^0\pi^+$ are used. This measurement is performed with respect to $\mathcal{B}\left(D^0\to{}\pi^+\pi^-\right)$, which cancels uncertainties in the luminosity and $D^{\ast+}$ production cross-section. It is estimated that using $3\,\mathrm{fb}^{-1}$ of LHCb data an upper limit can be attained of $\mathcal{O}\left(10^{-7}\right)$ at a $90\%$ confidence level.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of The 6th International Workshop on Charm Physics (CHARM 2013

VERITAS observations of the Cygnus Region

The Cygnus region of the galaxy is one of the richest regions of gas and star formation and is the brightest region of diffuse GeV emission in the northern sky. VERITAS has conducted deep observations (approximately 300 hours) in the direction of Cygnus region, reaching an average sensitivity of a few percent of the Crab nebula flux. We present the results of these observations and an analysis of over seven years of Fermi-LAT data above 1 GeV. In addition to a search for new sources in the region, we present updated spectra and morphologies of the known TeV gamma-ray sources and a study of their relationship with the GeV emission from the region. These results are discussed in their multiwavelength context including the recently published HAWC observatory gamma-ray catalog. A comparison is also made to the H.E.S.S. galactic plane survey.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures. In Proceedings of the 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2017), Busan (South Korea

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Investing in Young Men of Color as Community Assets

Living in resource-poor communities, many young men of color have less access to high-performing and adequately funded schools, opportunities to work, positive youth development experiences, and social capital. However, many young men of color in poor and low-income communities are thriving; their resilience and tenacity, as well as local leadership, positive adult connections, and effective programs, have helped them overcome the odds