Corpus Phonetics for Under-Documented Languages: A Vowel Harmony Example

Corpus phonetics is enabling the comprehensive analysis of large digital speech collections. In this paper, we develop a corpus phonetics workflow that is flexible enough to be easily applied to under-documented languages. To test the capabilities of this workflow we choose a challenging vowel reduction and vowel harmony problem. In Kera (Chadic) it has been shown (Pearce, 2012), that not only is phonetic reduction linked to the phonetic duration of the vowel, but also that reduction is blocked in vowel harmony domains. We are able to replicate previously published experiments by Pearce that were originally completed using manual measurements. We expect that our corpus phonetics workflow will be of value to phonologists working on other languages

The Interaction of Tone With Voicing and Foot Structure: Evidence From Kera Phonetics and Phonology.

This thesis uses acoustic measurements as a basis for the phonological analysis of the interaction of tone with voicing and foot structure in Kera (a Chadic language). In both tone spreading and vowel harmony, the iambic foot acts as a domain for spreading. Further evidence for the foot comes from measurements of duration, intensity and vowel quality. Kera is unusual in combining a tone system with a partially independent metrical system based on iambs. In words containing more than one foot, the foot is the tone bearing unit (TBU), but in shorter words, the TBU is the syllable. In perception and production experiments, results show that Kera speakers, unlike English and French, use the fundamental frequency as the principle cue to "voicing" contrast. Voice onset time (VOT) has only a minor role. Historically, tones probably developed from voicing through a process of tonogenesis, but synchronically, the feature [voice] is no longer contrastive and VOT is used in an enhancing role. Some linguists have claimed that Kera is a key example for their controversial theory of long-distance voicing spread. But as [voice] is not part of Kera phonology, this thesis gives counter-evidence to the voice spreading claim. An important finding from the experiments is that the phonological grammars are different between village women, men moving to town and town men. These differences are attributed to French contact. The interaction between Kera tone and voicing and contact with French have produced changes from a 2-way voicing contrast, through a 3-way tonal contrast, to a 2-way voicing contrast plus another contrast with short VOT. These diachronic and synchronic tone/voicing facts are analysed using laryngeal features and Optimality theory. This thesis provides a body of new data, detailed acoustic measurements, and an analysis incorporating current theoretical issues in phonology, which make it of interest to Africanists and theoreticians alike

The cultural relations of water in remote South Australian towns

Water is an increasingly scarce resource and the decline in rainfall presupposes people and communities adapting to live in drier, and very different, social and environmental conditions. In rural and remote South Australia residents have always considered water a reflexive resource that requires them to consider their relationship to water and its availability and access. These are material concerns. Yet, lifestyle, identity, sense of place and community is profoundly shaped by the inclusion of ‘water’ in one’s habitus. ‘Water’ is also a social concern and its material management arises within cultural relations

Studies of some magneto-optical properties of ferromagnetic films

This thesis deals with the detection and measurement of the Faraday and Voigt effects in monocrystalline (110) films of ferromagnetic nickel. The Faraday and Voigt rotations were measured as a function of four parameters: applied field, specimen thickness, wavelength and polarization azimuth of the incident light. Nickel films were grown epitaxially on a monocrystalline copper layer deposited on rock salt. The specimens were selected, using optical and electron microscopy, to be as near as possible to the theoretical ideal of pure, parallel-sided, monocrystalline films. The thickness of each specimen was measured using a multiple beam Fizeau fringe technique. The magneto-optical rotations were measured using a photoelectric polarimeter, accurate to [one-sixth] of arc, which is described6later in the thesis. The saturation dispersion and azimuthal behaviour of the Faraday and Voigt effects are discussed and compared with available theory

Contextualizing Professional Responsibility: A New Curriculum for a New Century

Daly et al assert that professional responsibility has matured as a subject matter to the point where a new genre of courses should join the pervasive method and the traditional survey course. The new age of professaional responsibility will reflect intellectual maturity through the introduction of contextual course that are designed to nurture the development of reflective ethical judgment

E. coli O157 on Scottish cattle farms: evidence of local spread and persistence using repeat cross-sectional data

<b>Background</b><p></p> Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157 is a virulent zoonotic strain of enterohaemorrhagic E. coli. In Scotland (1998-2008) the annual reported rate of human infection is 4.4 per 100,000 population which is consistently higher than other regions of the UK and abroad. Cattle are the primary reservoir. Thus understanding infection dynamics in cattle is paramount to reducing human infections.<p></p> A large database was created for farms sampled in two cross-sectional surveys carried out in Scotland (1998 - 2004). A statistical model was generated to identify risk factors for the presence of E. coli O157 on farms. Specific hypotheses were tested regarding the presence of E. coli O157 on local farms and the farms previous status. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles were further examined to ascertain whether local spread or persistence of strains could be inferred.<p></p> <b>Results</b><p></p> The presence of an E. coli O157 positive local farm (average distance: 5.96km) in the Highlands, North East and South West, farm size and the number of cattle moved onto the farm 8 weeks prior to sampling were significant risk factors for the presence of E. coli O157 on farms. Previous status of a farm was not a significant predictor of current status (p = 0.398). Farms within the same sampling cluster were significantly more likely to be the same PFGE type (p < 0.001), implicating spread of strains between local farms. Isolates with identical PFGE types were observed to persist across the two surveys, including 3 that were identified on the same farm, suggesting an environmental reservoir. PFGE types that were persistent were more likely to have been observed in human clinical infections in Scotland (p < 0.001) from the same time frame.<p></p> <b>Conclusions</b><p></p> The results of this study demonstrate the spread of E. coli O157 between local farms and highlight the potential link between persistent cattle strains and human clinical infections in Scotland. This novel insight into the epidemiology of Scottish E. coli O157 paves the way for future research into the mechanisms of transmission which should help with the design of control measures to reduce E. coli O157 from livestock-related sources

Repair of Scour Holes and Levees After the 1993 Flood

The record high water during the summer of 1993 significantly impacted the flood control levee structures in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City District. Scour holes in the levees and their foundations reached bedrock, up to 75 feet deep in some places, and extended up to 2,000 feet landward of the landside toe on lengths reaching 2,100 feet along selected levee embankments. Different methods used by the Corps of Engineers to repair the scoured levee embankment and foundation soils, their hydraulic impact on river stages, and the efficiency of different methods are presented. The methods discussed consist of: (1) backfill of the riverside scour holes; (2) backfill of the scour hole and reconstruction of the levee embankment to the original centerline; (3) realignment of levees landward of the scour boles; and (4) a grouted cut-off wall in a rockfill embankment and construction of a ring levee around the landside scour hole. The efficiency of different methods was evaluated by observation of the levee system during subsequent flood events

Digital interventions for subjective and objective social isolation among individuals with mental health conditions: a scoping review

Background: Social isolation encompasses subjective and objective concepts. Both are associated with negative health consequences and are more prevalent among people with mental health problems than among the general population. To alleviate social isolation, digital interventions have potential as accessible alternatives or adjuncts to face-to-face interventions. This scoping review aimed to describe the types of digital interventions evaluated for feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness in alleviating social isolation among individuals with mental health problems, and to present an overview of the quantitative evidence yielded to inform future intervention design. // Methods: We searched five electronic databases for quantitative and mixed methods studies published between January 2000 and July 2020. Studies were included if they evaluated digital interventions for individuals with mental health conditions, had subjective and/or objective social isolation as their primary outcome, or as one of their outcomes if no primary outcome was specified. Feasibility studies were included if feasibility outcomes were the primary outcomes and social isolation was among their secondary outcomes. A narrative synthesis was conducted to present our findings. The protocol was registered on Open Science Framework (doi:https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/CNX8A). // Results: Thirty-two studies were included for our review: 16 feasibility studies, seven single-group studies and nine effectiveness trials. There was great variation in the interventions, study designs and sample populations. Interventions included web-based programmes, phone-based programmes, blended interventions, socially assistive robots and virtual reality interventions. Many were feasibility studies, or otherwise not fully powered to detect an effect if one were present, thus preventing clear conclusions about clinical effectiveness. Satisfactory feasibility outcomes indicated potential for future trials to assess these interventions. // Conclusion: Our scoping review identified a range of digital approaches utilized to alleviate social isolation among individuals with mental health disorders. Conclusions regarding clinical effectiveness cannot be reached due to variability of approaches and lack of large-scale randomized controlled trials. To make clear recommendations for digital social isolation interventions, future research needs to be based on rigorous methods and larger samples. Future studies should also focus on utilizing theory-driven approaches and improving existing approaches to advance the field