Disentangling accent from comprehensibility

The goal of this study was to determine which linguistic aspects of second language speech are related to accent and which to comprehensibility. To address this goal, 19 different speech measures in the oral productions of 40 native French speakers of English were examined in relation to accent and comprehensibility, as rated by 60 novice raters and three experienced teachers. Results showed that both constructs were associated with many speech measures, but that accent was uniquely related to aspects of phonology, including rhythm and segmental and syllable structure accuracy, while comprehensibility was chiefly linked to grammatical accuracy and lexical richness

CO excitation in the Seyfert galaxy NGC7130

We present a coherent multi-band modelling of the CO Spectral Energy Distribution of the local Seyfert Galaxy NGC7130 to assess the impact of the AGN activity on the molecular gas. We take advantage of all the available data from X-ray to the sub-mm, including ALMA data. The high-resolution (~0.2") ALMA CO(6-5) data constrain the spatial extension of the CO emission down to ~70 pc scale. From the analysis of the archival CHANDRA and NuSTAR data, we infer the presence of a buried, Compton-thick AGN of moderate luminosity, L_2-10keV ~ 1.6x10^{43} ergs-1. We explore photodissociation and X-ray-dominated regions (PDRs and XDRs) models to reproduce the CO emission. We find that PDRs can reproduce the CO lines up to J~6, however, the higher rotational ladder requires the presence of a separate source of excitation. We consider X-ray heating by the AGN as a source of excitation, and find that it can reproduce the observed CO Spectral Energy Distribution. By adopting a composite PDR+XDR model, we derive molecular cloud properties. Our study clearly indicates the capabilities offered by current-generation of instruments to shed light on the properties of nearby galaxies adopting state-of-the art physical modelling.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Letter

Predicting clinically signficant change in an inpatient program for people with severe mental illness

Objective: The first aim of this study was to assess the proportion of patients who achieved reliable and clinically significant change over the course of treatment in an inpatient psychosocial rehabilitation program. The second aim was to determine whether age, gender, length of stay, and diagnosis and co-morbid diagnosis predicted those who were classified as improved or not improved, using clinical significance criteria. Method: Three hundred and thirty-seven patients from inpatient units at Bloomfield Hospital, Orange, New South Wales, Australia were assessed at admission, 3-month reviews and discharge using the expanded Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale, the Health of the Nation Outcome Scales and the Kessler 10. Results: Reliable and clinically significant improvement was found for 32.4% of inpatients on psychiatric symptomatology, 19.5% on psychosocial functioning and 20.2% on psychological distress. Logistic regression analyses found that the predictor variables collectively predicted those who made reliable and clinically significant improvement on psychiatric symptomatology, but not on psychosocial functioning or psychological distress. Those with a primary diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder had higher rates of improvement in psychiatric symptomatology compared to those with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Those with co-morbid substance abuse disorders showed a trend towards greater improvement. Conclusions: Inpatient treatment is associated with clinically significant improvements for some patients with a severe mental illness. Patients with schizo-affective disorders are proportionally more likely to make improvement

AGN feedback at z~2 and the mutual evolution of active and inactive galaxies

The relationships between galaxies of intermediate stellar mass and moderate luminosity active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at 1<z<3 are investigated with the Galaxy Mass Assembly ultra-deep Spectroscopic Survey (GMASS) sample complemented with public data in the GOODS-South field. Using X-ray data, hidden AGNs are identified in unsuspected star-forming galaxies with no apparent signs of non-stellar activity. In the color-mass plane, two parallel trends emerge during the ~2 Gyr between the average redshifts z~2.2 and z~1.3: while the red sequence becomes significantly more populated by ellipticals, the majority of AGNs with L(2-10 keV)>10^42.3 erg s^-1 disappear from the blue cloud/green valley where they were hosted predominantly by star-forming systems with disk and irregular morphologies. These results are even clearer when the rest-frame colors are corrected for dust reddening. At z~2.2, the ultraviolet spectra of active galaxies (including two Type 1 AGNs) show possible gas outflows with velocities up to about -500 km s^-1 that are not observed neither in inactive systems at the same redshift, nor at lower redshifts. Such outflows indicate the presence of gas that can move faster than the escape velocities of active galaxies. These results suggest that feedback from moderately luminous AGNs (logL_X~2 by contributing to outflows capable of ejecting part of the interstellar medium and leading to a rapid decrease in the star formation in host galaxies with stellar masses 10<logM<11 M_Sun.Comment: Astrophysical Journal Letters, in press (6 pages, 4 figures

The VANDELS survey: Dust attenuation in star-forming galaxies at z=3−4\mathbf{z=3-4}

We present the results of a new study of dust attenuation at redshifts $3 < z < 4$ based on a sample of $236$ star-forming galaxies from the VANDELS spectroscopic survey. Motivated by results from the First Billion Years (FiBY) simulation project, we argue that the intrinsic spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of star-forming galaxies at these redshifts have a self-similar shape across the mass range $8.2 \leq$ log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \leq 10.6$ probed by our sample. Using FiBY data, we construct a set of intrinsic SED templates which incorporate both detailed star formation and chemical abundance histories, and a variety of stellar population synthesis (SPS) model assumptions. With this set of intrinsic SEDs, we present a novel approach for directly recovering the shape and normalization of the dust attenuation curve. We find, across all of the intrinsic templates considered, that the average attenuation curve for star-forming galaxies at $z\simeq3.5$ is similar in shape to the commonly-adopted Calzetti starburst law, with an average total-to-selective attenuation ratio of $R_{V}=4.18\pm0.29$. We show that the optical attenuation ($A_V$) versus stellar mass ($M_{\star}$) relation predicted using our method is consistent with recent ALMA observations of galaxies at $2<z<3$ in the \emph{Hubble} \emph{Ultra} \emph{Deep} \emph{Field} (HUDF), as well as empirical $A_V - M_{\star}$ relations predicted by a Calzetti-like law. Our results, combined with other literature data, suggest that the $A_V - M_{\star}$ relation does not evolve over the redshift range $0<z<5$, at least for galaxies with log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \gtrsim 9.5$. Finally, we present tentative evidence which suggests that the attenuation curve may become steeper at log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \lesssim 9.0$.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

The VANDELS survey: Dust attenuation in star-forming galaxies at z=3−4\mathbf{z=3-4}

We present the results of a new study of dust attenuation at redshifts $3 < z < 4$ based on a sample of $236$ star-forming galaxies from the VANDELS spectroscopic survey. Motivated by results from the First Billion Years (FiBY) simulation project, we argue that the intrinsic spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of star-forming galaxies at these redshifts have a self-similar shape across the mass range $8.2 \leq$ log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \leq 10.6$ probed by our sample. Using FiBY data, we construct a set of intrinsic SED templates which incorporate both detailed star formation and chemical abundance histories, and a variety of stellar population synthesis (SPS) model assumptions. With this set of intrinsic SEDs, we present a novel approach for directly recovering the shape and normalization of the dust attenuation curve. We find, across all of the intrinsic templates considered, that the average attenuation curve for star-forming galaxies at $z\simeq3.5$ is similar in shape to the commonly-adopted Calzetti starburst law, with an average total-to-selective attenuation ratio of $R_{V}=4.18\pm0.29$. We show that the optical attenuation ($A_V$) versus stellar mass ($M_{\star}$) relation predicted using our method is consistent with recent ALMA observations of galaxies at $2<z<3$ in the \emph{Hubble} \emph{Ultra} \emph{Deep} \emph{Field} (HUDF), as well as empirical $A_V - M_{\star}$ relations predicted by a Calzetti-like law. Our results, combined with other literature data, suggest that the $A_V - M_{\star}$ relation does not evolve over the redshift range $0<z<5$, at least for galaxies with log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \gtrsim 9.5$. Finally, we present tentative evidence which suggests that the attenuation curve may become steeper at log$(M_{\star}/M_{\odot}) \lesssim 9.0$.Comment: 16 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Benchmarking across sectors: Comparisons of residential dual diagnosis and mental health programs

[extract] A Question to Ponder: How does your service compare to other similar services in the industry? How would knowing this help your organisation

Il contenimento del consumo di suolo a scala europea: il Programma ESPON

La pianificazione e lo sviluppo territoriale hanno informato l’agenda europea negli ultimi 10 anni soprattutto attraverso l’European Spatial Planning and Development Perspective (ESDP) formalizzatosi attraverso gli studi dell’European Spatial Planning Observatory Network (ESPON) e le Guidelines for the Sustainable Development of the European Continent del Council of Ministers of the Wider Europe with responsibility for Regional Planning (CEMAT)). Pur inizialmente lontani da quella concezione pienamente territoriale propria del pensiero geografico ed urbanistico italiano, che si è manifestata solo nel 2007, questi contributi rappresentano un forte incentivo a rinnovare l’atteggiamento politico, economico, culturale nei confronti del valore che il territorio, la sua utilizzazione e la sua identità hanno per lo sviluppo. Di fronte a queste sollecitazioni, nell’ultimo quinquennio il Programma ESPON si è aperto alla revisione dei paradigmi e dei contenuti operativi disciplinari, affrontando e sviluppando temi quali: i cambiamenti strutturali e le grandi tendenze del territorio europeo tra il 1998 e il 2007 (la coesione, sostenibilità e il cambiamento climatico, il policentrismo, l’urbano-rurale, la dimensione competitiva delle città anche medio-piccole, la governance, il cambiamento demografico, ecc.); l’integrazione tra i principi della ricerca geoeconomica e della pianificazione attraverso la creazione di modelli multidisciplinari applicabili a differenti scale - NUTs 2, 3, 4 - per l’individuazione delle capacità competitive endogene entro i limiti di sostenibilità; le procedure e gli strumenti di valutazione comuni per la scelta di politiche e piani/programmi in applicazione delle direttive europee (Territorial Impact Assessment – TIA); lo sviluppo di GIS e database dedicati alla conoscenza e alla gestione di processi cooperativi comparabili trasparenti, sussidiari, integrati; la definizione e l’applicazione di un protocollo di indicatori statistico-economico-geografici condivisi e certificati a sostegno dei processi decisionali; lo sviluppo di case study transnazionali sui temi principali della politica UE. In Italia, molti di questi cambiamenti sono stati introdotti e sperimentati attraverso i progetti speciali, tematici, strategici ESPON, confermando il valore di nuovi orientamenti geografici e della pianificazione, che coinvolgono direttamente i policy makers. I risultati dei progetti di ricerca transnazionale ESPON promossi tra il 2000-2006 e il 2007-2010 , ed in particolare quelli più legati alla dimensione territoriale ed urbana delle strategie europee in applicazione della Territorial Agenda 2007, hanno consentito di misurare e sperimentare anche in Italia indicatori, metodi, criteri di ricerca comuni, rivelatisi utili alla discussione internazionale e nazionale che accompagnano la revisione di molti temi, tra cui l’uso del suolo, la città e il suo rapporto con con l’area vasta di più stretta pertinenza, la provincia come luogo centrale della sussidiarietà europea (Prezioso, 2009)

Adaptations of Lumbar Biomechanics after Four Weeks of Running Training with Minimalist Footwear and Technique guidance: Implications for Running-Related Lower Back Pain

Objectives To investigate the changes in lumbar kinematic and paraspinal muscle activation before, during, and after a 4-week minimalist running training. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting University research laboratory. Participants Seventeen habitually shod recreational runners who run 10–50 km per week. Main outcome measures During stance phases of running, sagittal lumbar kinematics was recorded using an electrogoniometer, and activities of the lumbar paraspinal muscles were assessed by electromyography. Runners were asked to run at a prescribed speed (3.1 m/s) and a self-selected speed. Results For the 3.1 m/s running speed, significant differences were found in the calculated mean lumbar posture (p = 0.001) during the stance phase, including a more extended lumbar posture after minimalist running training. A significant reduction in the contralateral lumbar paraspinal muscle activation was also observed (p = 0.039). For the preferred running speed, similar findings of a more extended lumbar posture (p = 0.002) and a reduction in contralateral lumbar paraspinal muscle activation (p = 0.047) were observed. Conclusion A 4-week minimalist running training program produced significant changes in lumbar biomechanics during running. Specifically, runners adopted a more extended lumbar posture and reduced lumbar paraspinal muscle activation. These findings may have clinical implications for treating individuals with running-related lower back pain

Structural and Electronic Properties of Graphene Oxide for Different Degree of Oxidation1

In the last year, the investigation of two-dimensional materials as graphene oxide is a fundamental goal to produce innovative devices with wide range of applications in many areas. In the present work, we report a systematic study of structural and electronic properties of graphene oxide for different oxidations levels (25%, 50%, 75%, 100%) using density functional calculations for electronic ground state and a statistical approach on carbon-carbon bond length obtained after the geometric optimization of graphene covered with epoxide and hydroxyl functional groups. The theoretical models proposed and studied here are accord with the well-known experimental data. Our statistical results of the carbon-carbon bond length shown that hydroxyl groups disturbs the structure of graphene more than epoxide groups, however, both hydroxyl and epoxide groups are responsible of the change of hybridization sp2 to sp3, while the degree of oxidation increase. In addition, our electronic structure calculations confirm that with low degree of oxidation, the graphene oxide is semiconductor, and with full degree of oxidation graphene oxide is an insulating material. The minimum of total energy is found when the graphene oxide has full coverage. This work can contribute to understand the plasticity and ductility properties of graphene oxide recently reported