The tonal structure of Bemba.

The purpose of this thesis is to establish the part played by tone in the facts and operations of the language. This is achieved by analysing the observed speech-tones. In connected speech several tone-levels are used, but frequently the difference between two of these proves not to be significant. An initial investigation leads to a hypothesis of two essential tones. Prom the behaviour of certain tone-pat terns two distinct kinds of high-tones have to be recognized. The essential tones of basic nominals are discovered by observing their tone-patterns in given contexts. In this way there is established the existence of a single alternance of tone on each lexical syllable, and the absence of any tonal alternance on prefix syllables. Variations occur in the tones of some nominals according to their context, but frequently the tone-patterns are invariable. The tonal behaviour of compound nominals is related to the form as well as to the tones of their components. Where one nominal is based on another there is a close relationship between their tone-patterns. Verbals and nomino-verbals have a tonal behaviour different from that of nominals, but their syllables also display either a single tonal alternance or none at all. Several cases occur where the meaning of a verbal can be determined only when its tones are known. Although tone is not an important factor in indicating syntactical junctions, it often characterizes such Junctions. Interrogative speech is indicated by the use of different intervals between the tone-levels rather than by the use of special tone-patterns. Whether considered lexically, morphologically or syntactically the tones are an integral part of the language which can neither be adequatly analysed her accurately used unless they are taken into account

Associations Between Declining Antibiotic Use in Primary Care in Scotland and Hospitalisation with Infection and Patient Satisfaction:Longitudinal Population Study

BACKGROUND: Reducing antibiotic use is central to antimicrobial stewardship, but may have unintended consequences. OBJECTIVES: To examine associations between size of decline in antibiotic prescriptions in general practices and (i) rate of hospitalization for infection and (ii) patient satisfaction. METHODS: Routine data analysis for all general practices in Scotland, quarter one 2012 (Q1 2012) to quarter one 2018 (Q1 2018). Practices were grouped into quartiles of rate of change in prescribing and changes in rates of hospitalization were compared across groups. For satisfaction analysis, associations between practice-level patient satisfaction in 2017–18 (Scottish Health and Care Experience Survey) and prior change in antibiotic prescription were examined. RESULTS: Antibiotic prescriptions overall fell from 194.1 prescriptions/1000 patients in Q1 2012 to 165.3 in Q1 2018 (14.9% reduction). The first quartile of practices had a non-significant increase in prescriptions [change per quarter = 0.22 (95% CI −0.42 to 0.86) prescriptions/1000 patients], compared with large reductions in the other three groups, largest in quartile four: −2.95 (95% CI −3.66 to −2.24) prescriptions/1000 patients/quarter (29.7% reduction overall). In all quartiles, hospitalizations with infection increased. The increase was smallest in quartile four (the biggest reduction in prescriptions) and highest in quartile one (no significant change in prescriptions): 2.18 (95% CI 1.18 to 3.19) versus 3.68 (95% CI 2.64 to 4.73) admissions/100 000 patients/quarter, respectively [difference = − 1.50 (95% CI −2.91 to −0.10)]. There was no statistically significant association between change in antibiotic prescriptions and patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: Very large reductions in antibiotic prescriptions in Scottish general practices have not been associated with increases in hospitalization with infection or changes in patient satisfaction

Report of the 1988 2-D Intercomparison Workshop, chapter 3

Several factors contribute to the errors encountered. With the exception of the line-by-line model, all of the models employ simplifying assumptions that place fundamental limits on their accuracy and range of validity. For example, all 2-D modeling groups use the diffusivity factor approximation. This approximation produces little error in tropospheric H2O and CO2 cooling rates, but can produce significant errors in CO2 and O3 cooling rates at the stratopause. All models suffer from fundamental uncertainties in shapes and strengths of spectral lines. Thermal flux algorithms being used in 2-D tracer tranport models produce cooling rates that differ by as much as 40 percent for the same input model atmosphere. Disagreements of this magnitude are important since the thermal cooling rates must be subtracted from the almost-equal solar heating rates to derive the net radiative heating rates and the 2-D model diabatic circulation. For much of the annual cycle, the net radiative heating rates are comparable in magnitude to the cooling rate differences described. Many of the models underestimate the cooling rates in the middle and lower stratosphere. The consequences of these errors for the net heating rates and the diabatic circulation will depend on their meridional structure, which was not tested here. Other models underestimate the cooling near 1 mbar. Suchs errors pose potential problems for future interactive ozone assessment studies, since they could produce artificially-high temperatures and increased O3 destruction at these levels. These concerns suggest that a great deal of work is needed to improve the performance of thermal cooling rate algorithms used in the 2-D tracer transport models

Controlled formation of metastable germanium polymorphs

The nucleation of metastable germanium polymorphs on decompression is studied using in situ synchrotron x-ray diffraction. We show that the transition pathway is critically dependent on the hydrostaticity. Quasihydrostatic conditions result in the nucleation of the rhombohedral r8 phase, followed by the cubic bc8 and hexagonal diamond phases. In contrast, the presence of shear yields the tetragonal st12 phase. Thus, targeted nucleation of a metastable polymorph is now possible. This observation has implications for the technological exploitation of Ge, but also for other tetrahedral systems