Central vs. back vowels

At least fourteen languages contrast a central and a back vowel which are otherwise identical (in height, rounding, tenseness, etc.). Three previous feature systems are argued to be inadequate for capturing these contrasts. A new model is proposed, redefining the feature [± back] (as a dependent of the Dorsal Node) so that it can distinguish between central and back vowels

Gubernatorial hopeful favors uninhibited university forum

I don\u27t think that we ought to so rigidly restrict the university so that we don\u27t allow differing points of view, said State Senator Harrison Richardson Friday, referring to anger expressed recently by the Republican House leaders over the state-wide gay conference to be held at UMO

Laminal sibilants in Chamicuro

From the introduction: This paper examines the phonological status of laminal sibilants in Chamicuro. Chamicuro is a Maipuran Arawaken language spoken in the Amazonian lowlands of Eastern Peru. The phonemic inventory of Chamicuro sibilants exhibits a very strong symmetry of three affricates and three corresponding fricatives. However, when the laminal alveolar fricative [š̯] is considered, the pattern of distribution becomes more complicated. Specifically, it is very difficult to account for the occurrence of syllable-final [š̯]\u27s in a simple and elegant way. Two possible solutions are outlined and discussed, and the advantages and disadvantages of each one are evaluated

On the syllabification of /tl/ clusters in Spanish

From the introduction, As is commonly known, permissible word- and syllable-initial consonant clusters in Spanish consist of a stop (p t k b d g) or f followed by one of the two liquids r or l. Of the fourteen theoretically-possible combinations which these groupings yield, two are problematic: tl and dl The sequence dl does not occur word-initially and its word-internal attestation is limited to second person plural familiar commands such as tomadlo (\u27drink it\u27), which are rarely used outside of Spain. In words of this type the syllable break unquestionably occurs between the d and the l; since the /d/ in this environment is pronounced as a voiced fricative, it is much higher in sonority than is a voiceless stop such as /t/. Therefore, the phonetic sequence [dl] constitutes a type of sonority clash (cf. Parker 1989) and is consequently split apart during the syllabification process. The sequence tl is somewhat more frequent than dl since it does occur in a few rather common words, such as atlas \u27atlas\u27 and atleta \u27athlete\u27. However, the cluster tl never occurs word-initially except in a few uncommon Aztec loanwords used in Mexico. Thus the question arises of how words such as atleta are to be syllabified: at.le.ta or a.tle.ta? This article is organized as follows. First I review some of the relevant literature in order to demonstrate that the correct syllabification of tl clusters in Spanish is not at all an uncontroversial issue. I then describe a psycholinguistic test which I designed for the purpose of resolving this controversy. [...] Next I present the results of the testing, which strongly indicate that word-internal tl clusters in Spanish pattern as tautosyllabic onsets. Finally I discuss the theoretical implications of these findings

An OT account of laryngealization in Cuzco Quechua Show summary item record

Classical phonemic accounts of Cuzco Quechua posit three distinct series of stops: plain, aspirated, and glottalized. Parker and Weber 1996 argue instead for a root-level feature of laryngealization governed by a small number of formal mechanisms. In this paper, the analysis is taken one step farther and it is shown that even greater explanatory power may be achieved by appealing to the model of Optimality Theory

Has the U.S.-Vietnam Bilateral Trade Agreement Led to Higher FDI into Vietnam?

In December 2001, a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) came into effect that normalized economic relations between the United States and Vietnam. The resulting surge in trade surpassed most expectations. The impact of the BTA on FDI, however, has been less visible, especially with regard to U.S. FDI into Vietnam. This paper uses new data that accounts for FDI by U.S. subsidiaries resident in third counties to show that U.S. firms have been much more aggressive investors in Vietnam than normally reported in typical bilateral FDI data using Balance of Payments definitions of capital flows. While the U.S. is widely reported as the 11th largest investor into Vietnam, the new data shows that U.S.-related FDI exceeded all other countries in 2004. Although a formal model is not developed, descriptive data supports strongly the conclusion that the BTA has had a major impact on FDI into Vietnam, especially with regard to FDI from U.S. multinationals.FDI; Trade Agreement

The quantitative analysis of transonic flows by holographic interferometry

This thesis explores the feasibility of routine transonic flow analysis by holographic interferometry. Holography is potentially an important quantitative flow diagnostic, because whole-field data is acquired non-intrusively without the use of particle seeding. Holographic recording geometries are assessed and an image plane specular illumination configuration is shown to reduce speckle noise and maximise the depth-of-field of the reconstructed images. Initially, a NACA 0012 aerofoil is wind tunnel tested to investigate the analysis of two-dimensional flows. A method is developed for extracting whole-field density data from the reconstructed interferograms. Fringe analysis errors axe quantified using a combination of experimental and computer generated imagery. The results are compared quantitatively with a laminar boundary layer Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) prediction. Agreement of the data is excellent, except in the separated wake where the experimental boundary layer has undergone turbulent transition. A second wind tunnel test, on a cone-cylinder model, demonstrates the feasibility of recording multi-directional interferometric projections using holographic optical elements (HOE’s). The prototype system is highly compact and combines the versatility of diffractive elements with the efficiency of refractive components. The processed interferograms are compared to an integrated Euler CFD prediction and it is shown that the experimental shock cone is elliptical due to flow confinement. Tomographic reconstruction algorithms are reviewed for analysing density projections of a three-dimensional flow. Algebraic reconstruction methods are studied in greater detail, because they produce accurate results when the data is ill-posed. The performance of these algorithms is assessed using CFD input data and it is shown that a reconstruction accuracy of approximately 1% may be obtained when sixteen projections are recorded over a viewing angle of ±58°. The effect of noise on the data is also quantified and methods are suggested for visualising and reconstructing obstructed flow regions

Observing Reef Fishes from Submersibles Off North Carolina

During August and September 1979, the submersibles JOHNSON SEA LINK-II and NEKTON GAMMA were used to observe fishes at 13 reefs in Raleigh, Onslow, and Long Bays, N.C., at depths ranging from 23 to 152m. Reefs with the highest profile (up to 10m) and in depths of 52 to 92 m exhibited the greatest fish species richness and abundance, while adjacent sandy areas were usually barren of fishes. Estimates of recreationally and commercially important reef fishes were 61/ha (S.E. 59.9) over sand and 774/ha (S.E. 748.1) over reefs, with considerable variation between stations. Ninety-nine species in 35 families were observed. Most numerous were Holocentridae, Serranidae, Priacanthidae, Haemulidae, Sparidae, Sciaenidae, Chaetodontidae, Pomacentridae, and Labridae. Many tropical species previously thought to be rare off North Carolina were abundant

Survey of Malaysian Critical Intensive Care unit nurses’ awareness of patients’transition experiences (PE) and transitionalcare practice (TCP)

careSummaryBackground: Preparation of critically ill patients throughout their transition experiences in Criti-cal Intensive Care Units (CICU) and following discharge can impact upon their recovery. However,there is little research addressing critical care nurses’ awareness of patients’ transition expe-riences.Aim: This study aimed to examine CICU nurses’ awareness of patients’ transition experiencesand transitional care practice in Malaysia.Method: A descriptive questionnaire was used to survey Registered Nurses in seven CICUs in fourhospitals in Malaysia. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis.Results: The survey had a response rate of 65.2% (178 of 273 eligible nurses). The respondents’mean age was 29.6 years. Most of the respondents were from public hospitals and the majorityhad one to five years’ experience working as Registered Nurses, and in CICU. Public teach-ing hospital nurses had greater awareness of patients’ transition experience (PE) (p 10years Critical Intensive Care Unit experience (p 0.05). There was a positive correlation between nurses’ awareness of patients’ transi-tion experience and its impact, and their awareness of transitional care practice performance(rs= 0.42, p < 0.05).Conclusion: CICU nurses need targeted transition education to enable them to anticipate patients’ transitional experiences and to provide appropriate transitional care, particularly for public hospital nurses. Nursing schools need to integrate more content about critically ill patients’ transition experiences into the curriculum, to ensure graduate nurses will be able to anticipate the patient’s experience and provide appropriate transitional care

Life in Hampton Roads Report: The Ninth Annual Life in Hampton Roads Survey

[From the Executive Summary] The Social Science Research Center (SSRC) at Old Dominion University recently completed data collection for the ninth annual Life in Hampton Roads telephone survey. The purpose of the survey was to gain insight into residents’ perceptions of the quality of life in Hampton Roads. The project also investigated attitudes and perceptions of citizens regarding topics of local interest such as transportation and traffic, local and state government, perceptions of police, health, community, education, and other issues. This year, the SSRC also partnered with the Virginia Beach Department of Public Health and they provided additional health-related questions for the survey. The SSRC completed interviews with 687 Hampton Roads residents via landline and cell phones