Request for 2 New Cyrillic Characters for the Khanty and Nenets Languages

This is a proposal to add 2 characters to the international character encoding standard Unicode to represent Khanty and Nenets languages in Far North (Siberia). These additions were published in Unicode Standard version 7.0 in June 2014

Predicting Dyslexia Based on Pre-reading Auditory and Speech Perception Skills

Purpose: This longitudinal study examines measures of temporal auditory processing in pre-reading children with a family risk of dyslexia. Specifically, it attempts to ascertain whether pre-reading auditory processing, speech perception, and phonological awareness (PA) reliably predict later literacy achievement. Additionally, this study retrospectively examines the presence of pre-reading auditory processing, speech perception, and PA impairments in children later found to be literacy impaired. Method: Forty-four pre-reading children with and without a family risk of dyslexia were assessed at three time points (kindergarten, first, and second grade). Auditory processing measures of rise time (RT) discrimination and frequency modulation (FM) along with speech perception, PA, and various literacy tasks were assessed. Results: Kindergarten RT uniquely contributed to growth in literacy in grades one and two, even after controlling for letter knowledge and PA. Highly significant concurrent and predictive correlations were observed with kindergarten RT significantly predicting first grade PA. Retrospective analysis demonstrated atypical performance in RT and PA at all three time points in children who later developed literacy impairments. Conclusions: Although significant, kindergarten auditory processing contributions to later literacy growth lack the power to be considered as a single-cause predictor; thus results support temporal processing deficits’ contribution within a multiple deficit model of dyslexia

The Effect of Various Pigments and Binders on Coated Gloss, Print Gloss, and Delta Gloss

The objective of this thesis is to determine the effects that various pigments and binders have on the coated gloss, print gloss, and delta gloss values. The effects of coat weight and calendering on the glossing response of the sheet will also be determined. Supplemental tests such as Parker Print Surf Roughness, brightness, and opacity will be measured to further evaluate the coating formulations. A total eight different coating formulations were made using four very common pigments and two latex binders. The four pigments used were #2 clay (100%), calcined clay (15% substitution), delaminated clay (25% substitution), and calcium carbonate (100%). The two latex binders used were styrene butadiene (SBR) and polyvinyl acetate (PVAC). Latex binders were chosen because their gloss response when applied in coatings is better than starch or protein binders. In order to isolate the effect of the pigment and binders a number of variables were held constant or within the same range. The solids levels of all coatings was adjusted to 62%. The binder ratio used was 12% based on dry parts pigment. The Brookfield viscosity was adjusted within the same range using polyacrylate. The printing ink and the print conditions were held constant also. The ink used was a low viscosity water based flexographic ink. A low gloss ink was chosen in order to eliminate the effects of the ink on the print gloss. When pigments are used alone in coating formulations, their particle size has the most dramatic effect on the gloss response of the sheet. The finer particles create a more optically smooth sheet therefore giving higher gloss values. When binders are introduced into the sheet, the pigment to binder particle interaction also plays a major role. A coat weight increase of 5 g/m^2 gave an average increase in coated gloss of 10% and gave a 20% increase in calendered gloss. The delaminated clay using the PVAC as the binder showed the highest gloss response due to an increase in coat weight. Calendering the sheet improved all gloss values. The effect was greater for coated gloss than for the print gloss. This was desired because it proves that the gloss of ink did not contribute to the print gloss but that it was the coating structure that affected the gloss response. The effect of pigment and binder type varied depending upon the combination used. The calcined clay gave the highest calendered gloss values which was not expected. However, when these samples were printed they displayed the highest delta gloss. This is due to the large particle size of the calcined clay. High delta gloss values are not desired because they produce a contrast between the image of the coating and the printed image. The pigment-binder interaction played a major role in determining the gloss response. When the PVAC binder was used, the delaminated clay gave the best gloss response with a delta gloss value of near zero (.2). When the SBR was used, the #2 clay gave the best response in gloss response. This was expected because the SBR latex is known for its high gloss response. A more detailed description and interpretation of the results can be found in the results and discussion section

Nganasan - a fresh focus on a little known Arctic language

Book review. Reviewed work: A Grammar of Nganasan. (Grammars and Language Sketches of the World’s Languages: Indigenous Languages of Russia.) / Beáta Wagner-Nagy. - Leiden: Brill, 2018. xviii, 583 pp. ISBN 978-90-04-38275-6 (hardback), 978-90-04-38276-3 (e-book).Peer reviewe

Sextupole correction magnets for the Large Hadron Collider

About 2500 superconducting sextupole corrector magnets (MCS) are needed for the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN to compensate persistent current sextupole fields of the main dipoles. The MCS is a cold bore magnet with iron yoke. The coils are made from a NbTi conductor, which is cooled to 1.9 K. In the original CERN design 6 individual sub-coils, made from a monolithic composite conductor, are assembled and spliced together to form the sextupole. The coils are individually wound around precision-machined central islands and stabilized with matching saddle pieces at both ends. The Advanced Magnet Lab, Inc. (AML) has produced an alternative design, which gives improved performance and reliability at reduced manufacturing cost. In the AML design, the magnet consists of three splice-free sub-coils, which are placed with an automated winding process into pockets of prefabricated G-11 support cylinders. Any assembly process of sub-coils with potential misalignment is eliminated. The AML magnet uses a Kapton-wrapped mini-cable, which allows helium penetration into the vicinity of the conductor, increasing its cryogenic stability. Eliminating all internal splices from the magnet significantly reduces heat loads and the risk of magnet failure during operation. A tested prototype reached the critical current limit of the conductor in the first quench. (3 refs)