An acoustic analysis of liquid gemination in the spanish of Havana, Cuba

Among the most salient and extensively researched phonological processes of Caribbean Spanish after the categorical weakening of /-s/ is the prolific behavior of the implosive or post-nuclear liquids // and /l/. It has been repeatedly claimed yet remarkably unsubstantiated that the gemination of wordmedial, post-nuclear liquids to a following consonantal segment is a pervasive characteristic of Cuban Spanish, particularly of the western dialect region. To this end, the fundamental objective of the present study was to acoustically investigate said-phenomenon as it is purported to occur in the province of Havana, whose capital city models the linguistic norm for the rest of the country. Speech samples were elicited from twenty-four native speakers and spectrographic analysis was performed on these collected tokens in order to precisely identify the characteristics of both liquids in the above-mentioned segmental environment. Although we did not find any evidence of liquid gemination in the 120 words under analysis, we did observe two systematic and conditioned processes that may potentially help account for the impressionistic identification of gemination in word-internal position: 1) the insertion of an excrescent vowel between all [.C] sequences; and 2) an increase in the duration of the closure of the stop positionally subsequent to /-L/ → [Ø] by an average 30.9%. In light of the evident lack of empirical studies dedicated to the allophony of final liquids, we believe the implications of the findings in this investigation to be important for Caribbean Spanish in general and Cuban Spanish in particular and hope that this study may provide a foundation for future work on the phenomenon of liquid gemination

Accessibility Impacts of Bus Access to Managed Lanes

University of Minnesota M.S. thesis. September 2017. Major: Civil Engineering. Advisors: David Levinson, Alireza Khani. 1 computer file (PDF); vii, 51 pages.This research introduces a method to measure changes in transit accessibility resulting from adjustments in bus-highway interactions. Operational differences between general purpose (GP) and managed lanes (ML) are measured using average travel time. Changes to transit travel time are systematically introduced to General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) data through the use of the StopTimesEditor computer program developed for the purpose of this analysis. The methodology is tested on two express bus routes in the Minneapolis - St. Paul region (Twin Cities). The change in operating speed along portions of the selected transit routes is translated to changes in the job accessibility of the surrounding communities. The percent change in the worker-weighted average job accessibility for the area surrounding the transit routes and for the entire metropolitan region are 11.0\% and 0.26\% respectively. The methods introduced in this study can be used to evaluate the accessibility impacts of different highway operating environments for buses, or estimate the accessibility outcomes of different bus-highways scenarios

Revolutionary or evolutionary? Making research data management manageable

This chapter investigates the role of academic librarians, particularly those at small liberal arts institutions, in providing research data management services. Research data management may not seem like an obvious fit for curricular libraries whose primary mission is supporting teaching rather than faculty research, nor is data curation an obvious need for schools without a data repository or staff who specialize in the preservation and dissemination of data. Yet numerous reports cite data management and data services as critical services for the future of academic libraries (ACRL Planning and Review Committee, 2013; Johnson, 2014; Cox, 2013; Tenopir, 2012). The question raised, then, is how and why are data management services important in the liberal arts context? What can librarians at these institutions do to develop expertise in this growing area of the profession? What services are college and university libraries beginning to provide, and how successfully can existing models be adapted to other institutions? Does the addition of data services transform the mission of liberal arts libraries, and if so, is that transition revolutionary or evolutionary? Liberal arts librarians, as they have with numerous other shifts and trends in librarianship, can turn to models in the literature from research universities, develop communities of practice amongst themselves, and also innovate from within their own unique contexts. The authors argue that such collaboration and innovation reflect an evolutionary process as librarians build on existing skills, strategies, workflows, and knowledge. The following pages of this chapter survey the current environment, offer case studies from two small liberal arts institutions, the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University and Carleton College, and provide readers with recommended action steps to develop a path of gradual, manageable, shared, and sustainable work in research data management

Perceptions of an EBP Module Mobile Application by New Graduate Nurses

Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a key driver of care and advancements within nursing. It is essential to emphasize EBP early in a nurse\u27s career to promote inquisitive minds and enthusiasm for seeking evidence. The purpose of this project was to implement an EBP mobile app into a nurse residency program (NRP) to improve the process of providing EBP information and resources to new graduate nurses. The intent of the project was to leverage mobile technology to engage new graduate nurses in evidence-based practice. Roger\u27s diffusion of innovation framework guided the project. The target audience for the project was 16 new graduate RNs participating in a health system\u27s NRP who attend the EBP module and were required to complete an EBP project. The EBP module was provided during a classroom lecture and the mobile application was downloaded. After using the EBP module, all attendees were sent an electronic survey with open-ended questions related to the mobile application. Responses were reviewed to identify patterns. Survey responses reflected that a 50% did not utilize the mobile application. However, those that did use the mobile application (50%) found it useful and had a positive perception of the mobile application. Continued use of the mobile application and promotion of the mobile application for new graduate nurses may help with their own personal development of an EBP project. Ultimately, allowing nurses to effectively integrate nursing research into practice and impact patient care quality. This project impacted social change by empowering new nurses with knowledge and information related to evidence based practice and allowed for increased information to be accessible to a large audience of new graduate nurses

Running Endurance in 27-hour Fasted Humans

Nine male marathon runners were exercised to exhaustion to determine the effects of a 27-hour fast on endurance performance. Each subject completed two exercise tests at 72% peak oxygen uptake (Vo2max), one following a 27-hour fast and one three hours after a pre-exercise meal, in random order. Fasting caused a 44.7±5.8% (±SE) decrease in endurance performance (p2(9.3±2.0%), heart rate (8.4±2.4%), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and psychological fatigue, evident within the first 60 minutes of exercise. There was no difference in plasma glucose or epinephrine levels. Muscle glycogen degraded at the same rate (0.48±.15 vs 0.47±.28 u moles • g -1.min-1 in the non-fasted and fasted tests, respectively) despite lower respiratory exchange ratio (R) and elevated free fatty acid (FFA) levels. Lactate, insulin,. norepinephrine (NE), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (dopac) were all increased in the fasted test (

Development of the CNPP Prices Database

Data are available at: http://www.cnpp.usda.gov/USDAFoodPlansCostofFood.htmfood prices, USDA Food Plans, NHANES, CNPP Prices Database, Consumer/Household Economics, Demand and Price Analysis, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Student Ensemble: Choral Collage

Center for the Performing ArtsApril 24, 2016Sunday Afternoon1:00 p.m

Student Ensemble: Choral Showcase

Center for the Performing ArtsFebruary 14, 2016Sunday Afternoon3:00 p.m

Museum Magazine, Number 68 (2016 Winter)

The issue's feature article, "Afro-Cuban artists: a Renaissance. Manuel Mendive and Eduardo "Choco" Roca Salazar February 23-May 1, 2016," focuses on two of the most celebrated Cuban artists working today. Both men benefited from the educational and cultural initiatives instituted by Fidel Castro following the 1959 Cuban Revolution and receive inspiration from their Afro-Cuban heritage. However, their distinct selections of subject matter and divergent styles underscore the manifold ways revolution and race continue to be interpreted and understood on the island today.From the Director / Alex W. Barker (Director) -- Afro-Cuban artists : a renaissance / Kristin Schwain (Associate Professor, Art History) -- Black American artists : envisioning social change / Alisa Carlson (Curator of European and American Art) -- Recent acquisition : a German Renaissance portrait / Alisa Carlson (Curator of European and American Art) -- Special exhibitions -- Events calendar -- Missouri Folk Arts Program / Lisa Overholser (Guest Author) -- From the Museum Educator / Cathy Callaway (Museum Educator) -- From the Academic Coordinator / Arthur Mehrhoff -- Cleaning an old master / Alex Barker (Director) -- Spotlight : The Moon God Men / Benton Kidd (Curator of Ancient Art) -- Museum Associates / Gary Anger (President, Museum Associates)