The acquisition of English L2 prosody by Italian native speakers: experimental data and pedagogical implications

This paper investigates Yes-No question intonation patterns in English L2, Italian L1, and English L1. The aim is to test the hypothesis that L2 learners may show different acquisition strategies for different dimensions of intonation, and particularly the phonological and phonetic components. The study analyses the nuclear intonation contours of 4 target English words and 4 comparable Italian words consisting of sonorant segments, stressed on the semi-final or final syllable, and occurring in Yes-No questions in sentence-final position (e.g., Will you attend the memorial?, Hai sentito la Melania?). The words were contained in mini-dialogues of question-answer pairs, and read 5 times by 4 Italian speakers (Padova area, North-East Italy) and 3 English female speakers (London area, UK). The results show that: 1) different intonation patterns may be used to realize the same grammatical function; 2) different developmental processes are at work, including transfer of L1 categories and the acquisition of L2 phonological categories. These results suggest that the phonetic dimension of L2 intonation may be more difficult to learn than the phonological one

The examination of control entropy (CE) of triaxial accelerometry and lactate threshold in runners during treadmill exercise

The purpose of this study was to determine if the blood lactate threshold could be identified through the visual examination of the control entropy of high-resolution accelerometry in intercollegiate endurance runners (n=7). In procedures approved by the Eastern Michigan University College of Health and Human Services Human Subject Review Board, runners performed two lactate threshold tests to determine the relationship between the pace of running and the blood lactate concentration. High-resolution accelerometry (HRA) data as well as the metabolic cost of exercise was also collected during these trials. Control entropy (CE) analysis was conducted on the HRA of each individual plane of motion. Visual examination of the CE of the accelerations of the vertical and medio-lateral planes of motion revealed a relationship with the decline of CE, indicative of constraint, at paces which corresponded with an increase in blood lactate concentration of 1mmol/L above baseline

Plantar Pressure, Cutaneous Sensation and Stochastic Resonance: An Examination of Factors Influencing the Control and Perception of Posture

The goal of this dissertation was to understand how people control posture in the context of sensory loss. To do so we explored three potential influences on the detection of external information and how they relate to the control of posture and perception of body orientation: 1) does changing posture alter the forces under the foot, and do these changes impact the ability to detect external vibrations? 2) Does decreasing the temperature of the foot influence the ability to detect external vibrations, the perception of body orientation, and the control of posture? And 3) does stochastic resonance (SR) improve the perception of body orientation and the control of posture when the sensory thresholds are elevated to clinical levels through cooling of the feet? The results of the experiments indicate that: 1) increasing the pressure under the feet, elicited by changes in posture, elevates the cutaneous sensory threshold, and that the forefoot appears to be more sensitive than the rearfoot to changes in weighting; 2) decreasing the temperature of the skin elevates cutaneous sensory thresholds, and impacts postural control by constraining the fluctuations of the medial-lateral center of pressure; and 3) applying SR to the soles of the feet improves the ability to perceive body position, with greater amounts of skin cooling resulting in greater improvements in postural performance due to SR. This dissertation demonstrates that decreasing plantar loading lowers cutaneous sensory thresholds, indicating that the changes in postural fluctuations frequently observed among those with clinical sensory loss may serve as a mechanism that allows for improved access to external information if they prove to reduce the pressure under sensory impaired portions of the feet. Additionally, we add to the growing body of literature identifying SR as a means to improve postural performance when cutaneous sensory function is impaired. From a clinical perspective, the results presented here indicate that aids designed to apply SR to the soles of the feet, as a means to improve posture and gait, should modulate their signal such that they apply a signal amplitude appropriate to the amount of loading the foot experiences

Multiscale Entropy Identifies Postural Control Changes in Persons with Multiple Sclerosis

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic auto-immune disorder characterized by demyelination of neurons of the central nervous system. MS-related reductions in neural activity have been associated with reductions in balance control and limitations in mobility. Multiscale entropy (MSE) analysis has been used to identify reductions in complexity of the postural control system in various disorders. The purpose of this study was to examine if center-of-pressure fluctuations, analyzed through MSE, differ between persons with MS and healthy controls. We hypothesized that MSE would be reduced in MS compared to controls in all postural tasks in both anterior-posterior (AP) and medio-lateral (ML) directions. Eight persons with MS (7 female, 1 male) and matched controls completed the testing procedures. The MS subjects had minimal functional impairment (Patient Determined Disease Steps, range 0-3). Quiet standing and fixed distance forward and backward reaches were assessed for 30 s. MSE was computed across 30 time scales (range .01-.25s). Effect size (ES) statistics were used to assess differences between MS and control groups. Quiet standing revealed moderate reductions in complexity among persons with MS compared to controls in the AP direction (ES = .71). The backward reach demonstrated moderate and strong reductions in complexity in the AP and ML direction in the MS group (ES = .74 and 1.0, respectively). Moderate reductions in ML complexity were also observed in the forward reach condition in the MS group (ES = .68). These results support the hypothesis that persons with MS display lower postural complexity compared to those without MS. MSE analysis is a promising new tool for detecting MS-related changes in postural complexity. These changes in postural complexity appear to precede locomotor impairment, as assessed by the patient determined disease steps, and may provide novel insight into MS progression

CAOS spectroscopy of Am stars Kepler targets

The {\it Kepler} space mission and its {\it K2} extension provide photometric time series data with unprecedented accuracy. These data challenge our current understanding of the metallic-lined A stars (Am stars) for what concerns the onset of pulsations in their atmospheres. It turns out that the predictions of current diffusion models do not agree with observations. To understand this discrepancy, it is of crucial importance to obtain ground-based spectroscopic observations of Am stars in the {\it Kepler} and {\it K2} fields in order to determine the best estimates of the stellar parameters. In this paper, we present a detailed analysis of high-resolution spectroscopic data for seven stars previously classified as Am stars. We determine the effective temperatures, surface gravities, projected rotational velocities, microturbulent velocities and chemical abundances of these stars using spectral synthesis. These spectra were obtained with {\it CAOS}, a new instrument recently installed at the observing station of the Catania Astrophysical Observatory on Mt. Etna. Three stars have already been observed during quarters Q0-Q17, namely: HD\,180347, HD\,181206, and HD\,185658, while HD\,43509 was already observed during {\it K2} C0 campaign. We confirm that HD\,43509 and HD\,180347 are Am stars, while HD 52403, HD\,50766, HD\,58246, HD\,181206 and HD\,185658 are marginal Am stars. By means of non-LTE analysis, we derived oxygen abundances from O{\sc I}$\lambda$7771--5{\AA} triplet and we also discussed the results obtained with both non-LTE and LTE approaches.Comment: accepted in MNRAS main journal 13 pages, 11 figures, 3 tables. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1404.095

Impact of different fertilisers on elemental content in young hybrid aspen stem wood

The biomass production using fast-growing tree species such as hybrid aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx. x Populus tremula L.) has been recognized as an environmentally friendly and cost-effective approach. Growing these species can reduce the negative impact of earlier land mismanagement and at the same time provide additional biomass growth. The application of fertilisers may introduce not only the necessary macro elements (N, P, K) but also significant amounts of toxic heavy metals. Therefore, the knowledge about elemental flows from fertilised soil to the different parts of hybrid aspen trees is essential and especially meaningful for the evaluation of element content in specific environmental ecosystems. The impact of different fertilisers (sewage sludge, digestate and wood ash) on the concentrations of micro- and macro elements in the wood of six-year-old hybrid aspen stands grown on former agricultural land was studied. The determination of element concentrations in different tree rings of hybrid aspen trees was accomplished by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS). Isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) was used to determine the nitrogen and carbon content and isotope ratios in different parts of hybrid aspen trees. Stem disc samples from hybrid aspen trees were obtained from agricultural land in the central part of Latvia. Samples were taken from six-yearold hybrid aspen trees that at the moment of planting were fertilised with sewage sludge, a residue of biogas production (digestate) and wood ash. The obtained results indicated that the chemical element accumulation in hybrid aspen was affected by the applied fertiliser type. In this study, the use of wood ash, as well as digestate, affected the elemental content in hybrid aspen to a greater extent than the use of sewage sludge, relative to unfertilised (control) subplot. The analysed elements varied in the analysed stem plane (across the tree rings). The most significant changes between the rings were observed for the content of K and Ca

Postural Stability is Reduced in People with Multiple Sclerosis due to Walking-imposed Fatigue

The most limiting symptoms reported by individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) are impaired balance and symptomatic fatigue. We have reported greater postural sway and reduced stability following local muscular fatigue in individuals with MS, suggesting that these symptoms may be related. However, it is unknown whether a similar relationship exists with modest increases in fatigue resulting from an activity of daily living (ADL). Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine whether walking has a greater impact on balance during postural tasks in people with MS (PwMS) compared to those without. Seven PwMS (43±12 yrs, 6F/1M) and 10 controls (CON; 42±12 yrs, 7F/3M) performed postural tasks (quiet stance, fixed/maximal reaches) pre/post 30 minutes of treadmill walking at a range of speeds (0.6-1.4 m/s). Individuals rated their fatigue pre/post walking using a Visual Analog Scale. Kinematic data were recorded using a passive marker system (Qualysis AB) and kinetic data were recorded using two forceplates (AMTI), one under each foot. The net center of pressure was analysed using a time to contact analysis to assess postural stability. Following prolonged walking PwMS demonstrated greater reductions in stability than the CON group during the most challenging task (P=0.04), that may be related to increased fatigue (P\u3c0.0001) following walking. PwMS demonstrated greater stability than the CON group for maximal reaches (backward, P=0.009; forward, P=0.03 frontal plane only), which may be explained by reduced reach distances performed by the PwMS (backward, P=0.2; forward, P=0.008). These findings suggest that PwMS place a higher priority on stability, than maximal reach distance, which could relate to fall-related fear or specific disease-related limitations. These findings indicate that postural stability is reduced in PwMS following a common ADL, thus individuals with MS should be counseled on the increased likelihood of balance loss with heightened fatigue, even at relatively low levels

A New Approach to the Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Chalcogenide-Based Multi-State Phase-Change Nonvolatile Memory

A new approach to developing, fabricating, and testing chalcogenide-based multi-state phase-change nonvolatile memory (NVM) is presented. A test chip is fabricated through the MOSIS service. Then post processing, in the Boise State University lab, is performed on the chip to add the chalcogenide material that forms the NVM. Each memory bit consists of an NMOS access transistor and the chalcogenide material placed between the metal3 of the test chip, connected to the access device, and a common, to all memory bits, electrode. This paper describes the design of the memory bit and of the test structures used for reliability and radiation testing. Fabrication and postprocessing of the memory are also discussed