bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemical Constituents of Schisandra rubriflora Rehd. et Wils.
Authors: LI Gan‐Peng , ZHAO Jing‐Feng , TU Yong‐Qiang , YANG Xiao‐Dong , ZHANG Hong‐Bin , LI Liang
Published: November 2010

Abstract: Schisandra rubriflora Rehd. et Wils. is a traditional Chinese medicine. To search for new and bioactive components from traditional Chinese medicines and provide scientific evidence for taxonomy, the chemical constituents of the plant were investigated by various column chromatography methods (silica gel, Sephadex LH‐20, and RP‐18). From the aerial parts of S. rubriflora, three new megastigmane glycosides, namely (3S, 5R, 6S, 9R)‐megastigmane‐3, 9‐diol 3‐O‐[α‐L‐arabionfuranosyl‐(1→6)‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside] (1), 7‐megastigmene‐3‐ol‐9‐one 3‐O‐[α‐L‐arabionfuranosyl‐(1→6)‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside] (2), and megastigmane‐3α, 4β, 9σ‐triol 3‐O‐β‐D‐glucopyranoside (3), along with 14 known compounds, were isolated. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by a combination of spectroscopic and chemical methods.

(Managing editor: Wei WANG)
Auffällige Zunahme des Lymphogranuloma venereum unter homosexuellen Männern in Hamburg
Authors: Krosigk Ariane v. , Meyer Thomas , Jordan Sabine , Graefe Kathrin , Plettenberg Andreas , Stoehr Albrecht
Published: November 2010

Nachdem in den letzten Jahren ein auffälliger Anstieg der klassischen Geschlechtskrankheiten, wie Lues und Gonorrhoe, im homosexuellen Patientenkollektiv zu beobachten war, zeigte sich im Jahr 2003 am ifi‐Institut in Hamburg erstmals eine Zunahme des seltenen Lymphogranuloma venereum. Insgesamt wurden in diesem Zeitraum vier homosexuelle Patienten mit unterschiedlichen Erscheinungsformen des Lymphogranuloma venereum identifiziert. Ein Auslandsaufenthalt lag bei keinem Patienten vor. Bei drei Patienten bestand gleichzeitig eine HIV‐Infektion. In allen Fällen konnte eine Chlamydia‐trachomatis‐Infektion mittels SDA (strand displacement amplification) in genitalen Abstrichproben oder Lymphknotenpunktat nachgewiesen werden. In 3 der 4 Fälle erfolgte eine Typisierung durch Sequenzanalyse von ompA‐PCR‐Produkten, wobei jeweils der C.‐trachomatis‐Serovar‐L2 identifiziert wurde. Weitere differentialdiagnostisch relevante genitale Infektionen wurden mit Hilfe erregerspezifischer PCR‐Analysen, bakteriologischen und serologischen Untersuchungsmethoden ausgeschlossen.

In der Differentialdiagnose genitoanaler und oraler Erosionen, insbesondere bei homosexuellen und HIV‐infizierten Patienten, sollte daher auch an das Lymphogranuloma venereum gedacht werden. Der Nachweis genitaler Chlamydien‐Infektionen kann dabei unter Verwendung der neuen Nukleinsäure‐Amplifikationsverfahren schnell und zuverlässig durchgeführt werden.
Agglomeration of microparticles in complex plasmas
Authors: Du Cheng-Ran , Thomas Hubertus M. , Ivlev Alexei V. , Konopka Uwe , Morfill Gregor E.
Published: November 2010

Agglomeration of highly charged microparticles was observed and studied in complex plasma experiments carried out in a capacitively coupled rf discharge. The agglomeration was caused by strong waves triggered in a particle cloud by decreasing neutral gas pressure. Using a high-speed camera during this unstable regime, it was possible to resolve the motion of individual microparticles and to show that the relative velocities of some particles were sufficiently high to overcome the mutual Coulomb repulsion and hence to result in agglomeration. After stabilizing the cloud again through the increase of the pressure, we were able to observe the aggregates directly with a long-distance microscope. We show that the agglomeration rate deduced from our experiments is in good agreement with theoretical estimates. In addition, we briefly discuss the mechanisms that can provide binding of highly charged microparticles in a plasma.
A closed formula for the barrier transmission coefficient in quaternionic quantum mechanics
Authors: De Leo Stefano , Ducati Gisele , Leonardi Vinicius , Pereira Kenia
Published: November 2010

In this paper, we analyze, by using a matrix approach, the dynamics of a nonrelativistic particle in presence of a quaternionic potential barrier. The matrix method used to solve the quaternionic Schrödinger equation allows us to obtain a closed formula for the transmission coefficient. Up to now, in quaternionic quantum mechanics, almost every discussion on the dynamics of nonrelativistic particle was motivated by or evolved from numerical studies. A closed formula for the transmission coefficient stimulates an analysis of qualitative differences between complex and quaternionic quantum mechanics and by using the stationary phase method, gives the possibility to discuss transmission times.
Bell-polynomial manipulations on the Bäcklund transformations and Lax pairs for some soliton equations with one Tau-function
Authors: Lü Xing , Tian Bo , Sun Kun , Wang Pan
Published: November 2010

In the framework of Bell-polynomial manipulations, under investigation hereby are three single-field bilinearizable equations: the (1+1)-dimensional shallow water wave model, Boiti–Leon–Manna–Pempinelli model, and (2+1)-dimensional Sawada–Kotera model. Based on the concept of scale invariance, a direct and unifying Bell-polynomial scheme is employed to achieve the Bäcklund transformations and Lax pairs associated with those three soliton equations. Note that the Bell-polynomial expressions and Bell-polynomial-typed Bäcklund transformations for those three soliton equations can be, respectively, cast into the bilinear equations and bilinear Bäcklund transformations with symbolic computation. Consequently, it is also shown that the Bell-polynomial-typed Bäcklund transformations can be linearized into the corresponding Lax pairs.
First-principles modeling of intrinsic and extrinsic defects in γ-Al2O3
Authors: Sankaran K. , Pourtois G. , Degraeve R. , Zahid M. B. , Rignanese G.-M. , Van Houdt J.
Published: November 2010

The electronic properties of a set of intrinsic and extrinsic point defects in γ-Al2O3 are investigated using quasiparticle calculations within the G0W0 approximation. We find that the electronic signature of atomic vacancies lie deep in the band gap, close to the top of the valence band edge. The introduction of C, Si, and N impurities induces defective levels that are located close to the conduction band edge and near the middle of the band gap of the oxide. The comparison with electrical measurements reveals that the energy levels of some of these defects match with the electronic fingerprint of the defects reported in γ-Al2O3 based nonvolatile memories.
Onset condition of pulsating cone-jet mode of electrohydrodynamic jetting for plane, hole, and pin type electrodes
Authors: Kim Hyojun , Song Junyoung , Chung Jaewon , Hong Daehie
Published: November 2010

In this work, electrohydrodynamic (EHD) jetting phenomena were observed for three different types of bottom electrode (plane, hole, pin) at constant back pressure condition of the reservoir. Especially, we have focused on the measurement and numerical prediction of the onset voltage for pulsating Taylor cone jetting, changing glass capillary nozzle diameter (outer diameter: 16–47 μm), hydrostatic back pressure head in the reservoir, and the distance between the nozzle and the bottom electrode to provide design information on the EHD multinozzle head.
Preparation of aqueous Ag Ink with long-term dispersion stability and its inkjet printing for fabricating conductive tracks on a polyimide film
Authors: Jeong Sunho , Song Hae Chun , Lee Won Woo , Choi Youngmin , Ryu Beyong-Hwan
Published: November 2010

We synthesized silver nanoparticles via chemical reduction method in aqueous medium and poly(acrylic acid) sodium salt (PAA), a kind of anionic polyelectrolyte, was used as a capping agent as well as a dispersant. Owing to the electrosteric repulsion characteristic of PAA, the prepared aqueous Ag ink exhibited a remarkable dispersion stability, which was confirmed by sedimentation test, zeta-potential measurement, and rheological analysis. We fabricated narrow conductive features onto the polyimide substrate using ink-jet printing method and demonstrated the influence of substrate temperature on the morphology of printed patterns. After annealing at 250 °C, the resistivity of the Ag pattern with a linewidth of 60 μm was 4 μΩ cm.
Inkjet-printing of nonsintered alumina-resin hybrid films and their dielectric properties
Authors: Hwang Myung-sung , Kim Jihoon , Kim Hyo-tae , Yoon Youngjoon , Hyun Sangil , Kim Jonghee , Lee Sung-nam , Moon Jooho
Published: November 2010

We used the inkjet printing method to fabricate alumina-resin hybrid films without a high temperature sintering process. The dielectric properties of the alumina-resin hybrid films were studied in order to assess if the alumina-resin hybrid films are applicable to the electronic package substrates. Various numerical models were introduced to understand the relative permittivity of the alumina-resin hybrid films. Q-values of the alumina-resin hybrid films are also measured and compared to the commercially available substrate materials. The impact of microvoids on the Q-value of the inkjet-printed alumina-resin hybrid films was also studied. The microstructures of the inkjet-printed hybrid materials were investigated in order to confirm if the microvoids in the films were filled with the resin.
Low-voltage-operated top-gate polymer thin-film transistors with high capacitance poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene)/poly(methyl methacrylate) dielectrics
Authors: Jung Soon-Won , Baeg Kang-Jun , Yoon Sung-Min , You In-Kyu , Lee Jong-Keun , Kim Young-Soon , Noh Yong-Young
Published: November 2010

We report on low-voltage-operated polymer transistors with poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)]/poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) blended films as a gate dielectric layer. Top-gate polymer transistors are fabricated by all-solution processes on poly(9,9-dioctylfuorene-co-bithiophene) (F8T2) as an active layer. Both the operating voltage and charge carrier mobility are improved using P(VDF-TrFE)/PMMA blended films as a dielectric layer and by optimization of the ratio of the composite. F8T2 transistors have a high field-effect mobility of 1×10−2 cm2/V s and a low operation gate voltage of less than 10 V. The operation voltage effectively decreases owing to the high permittivity of the P(VDF-TrFE)]/(PMMA) blended film (10.4–8.4). The hysteresis induced by the ferroelectric polymer effectively disappears with the addition of a small amount of amorphous PMMA (5 wt %).
Modeling of printed single walled carbon nanotube thin film transistors for attaining optimized clock signals
Authors: Noh Jinsoo , Jung Minhun , Jung Kyunghwan , Lim Soyeon , Lee Gwangyong , Subramanian Vivek , Leonard Ashley D. , Tour James , Cho Gyoujin
Published: November 2010

As all-printed digital circuits are in high demand to produce all-printed active devices, providing accurate and synchronized clocks to all of the printed circuits is an indispensible step. To supply the clock signal to a printed digital circuit, a printed ring oscillator has been considered as a practical solution. However, it is difficult to fully print the ring oscillators with a consistent and stable clock signal. To resolve this problem, we employed single walled carbon nanotube network (SWNTn) as active layers of printed thin film transistors (TFTs) to completely print the ring oscillator. In addition, using the extracted electronic properties from the printed SWNTn-TFTs, we designed a simulation model based on AIM-Spice Model 15 for the printed ring oscillator and compared the simulated clock signals with the experimentally measured values of the printed ring oscillator.
Use of laser lift-off for flexible device applications
Authors: Lee Choong Hee , Kim Sang Jin , Oh Yongsoo , Kim Mi Yang , Yoon Yeo-Joo , Lee Hwan-Soo
Published: November 2010

This paper presents an approach of “film separation” and “transfer” to fabricating functional films or devices on polymeric substrates. For either a ferroelectric La-doped Pb(Zr,Ti)O3, PLZT thin film or a ZnO thin film, using laser lift-off (LLO), film separation from the transparent rigid substrate (sapphire or glass) was achieved. The film transfer to a polymeric receptor substrate was obtained by laminating the polymeric substrate on the film stack prior to LLO. The introduction of a sacrificial layer between the film and the substrate mostly resolved concerns to induce damages during LLO. Electrical testing of the films before and after LLO demonstrated the film properties on the original substrate were satisfactorily retained even for the transferred films on the polymeric substrate.
Liquid crystal display modes in a nontilted bent-core biaxial smectic liquid crystal
Authors: Nagaraj Mamatha , Panarin Y. P. , Vij J. K. , Keith C. , Tschierske C.
Published: November 2010

Liquid crystal display (LCD) modes associated with the rotation of the secondary director in nontilted, biaxial smectic phase of an achiral bent-core compound are demonstrated. For LCDs, we find that at least four display modes are possible using SmAPA phase of the studied material, in which the minor directors in adjacent layers are aligned antiferroelectrically. The advantages of these modes include low driving field (1–2 V/μm), high contrast ratio 1000:1, relatively fast switching time of 0.5 ms and continuous gray scale. The molecular short axis or the polar axis in a negative dielectric, biaxial material is oriented by the in-plane electric field by a combination dielectric biaxiality and polarity at low electric fields and polarity at higher fields.
On the question of hysteresis in Hall magnetohydrodynamic reconnection
Authors: Sullivan Brian P. , Bhattacharjee A. , Huang Yi-Min
Published: November 2010

Controversy has been raised regarding the cause of hysteresis, or bistability, of solutions to the equations that govern the geometry of the reconnection region in Hall magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) systems. This brief communication presents a comparison of the frameworks within which this controversy has arisen and illustrates that the Hall MHD hysteresis originally discovered numerically by Cassak et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 235002 (2005)] is a different phenomenon from that recently reported by Zocco et al. [Phys. Plasmas 16, 110703 (2009)] on the basis of analysis and simulations in electron MHD with finite electron inertia. We demonstrate that the analytic prediction of hysteresis in EMHD does not describe or explain the hysteresis originally reported in Hall MHD, which is shown to persist even in the absence of electron inertia.
Microstructure-electromechanical property correlations in rare-earth-substituted BiFeO3 epitaxial thin films at morphotropic phase boundaries
Authors: Cheng Ching-Jung , Kan Daisuke , Anbusathaiah Varatharajan , Takeuchi Ichiro , Nagarajan Valanoor
Published: November 2010

Structure-electromechanical property correlations in rare-earth (RE)-substituted (001) BiFeO3 (BFO) epitaxial thin films have been investigated. Quantitative piezoelectric coefficient (d33) and dielectric constant (ε33) measurements, in conjunction with selected area electron diffraction, reveal that the enhancement in d33 and ε33 at the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) of the RE-substituted films (RE=Dy3+, Gd3+, and Sm3+) is correlated with the presence of a competing intermediate antipolar phase with the rhombohedral ferroelectric and nonpolar orthorhombic phase. This leads to a complex nanoscale phase coexistence at the MPB. Extending the studies to RE=La3+ case, we find the nanoscale phase coexistence to be less pronounced. This explains the lack of increase in d33 for the La3+-substituted BFO films, in contrast to the Dy3+, Gd3+, and Sm3+-substituted films.
Magnetocaloric effect in ribbon samples of Heusler alloys Ni–Mn–M (M=In,Sn)
Authors: Aliev A. M. , Batdalov A. B. , Kamilov I. K. , Koledov V. V. , Shavrov V. G. , Buchelnikov V. D. , García J. , Prida V. M. , Hernando B.
Published: November 2010

Direct measurements of the magnetocaloric effect in samples of rapidly quenched ribbons of Mn50Ni40In10 and Ni50Mn37Sn13 Heusler alloys with potential applications in magnetic refrigeration technology are carried out. The measurements were made by a precise method based on the measurement of the oscillation amplitude of the temperature in the sample while is subjected to a modulated magnetic field. In the studied compositions both direct and inverse magnetocaloric effects associated with magnetic (paramagnet-ferromagnet-antiferromagnet) and structural (austenite-martensite) phase transitions are found. Additional inverse magnetocaloric effects of small value are observed around the ferromagnetic transitions.
Hall mobility measurements in enhancement-mode GaAs field-effect transistors with Al2O3 gate dielectric
Authors: Shahrjerdi D. , Nah J. , Hekmatshoar B. , Akyol T. , Ramon M. , Tutuc E. , Banerjee S. K.
Published: November 2010

We report the direct measurement of the inversion charge density and electron mobility in enhancement-mode n-channel GaAs transistors using gated Hall bars. The Hall data reveal the existence of a reduced mobile charge density in the channel due to significant charge trapping. The peak electron mobility was found to be relatively high (∼2140 cm2/V s), in agreement with inherent high carrier mobility of electrons in III-V materials.
Four-dimensional imaging of the initial stage of fast evolving plasmas
Authors: Zhu Pengfei , Zhang Zhongchao , Chen Long , Zheng Jun , Li Runze , Wang Weimin , Li Junjie , Wang Xuan , Cao Jianming , Qian Dong , Sheng Zhengming , Zhang Jie
Published: November 2010

Using an ultrafast electron probe capable of four-dimensional diagnosis, the initial stage of fast evolving plasmas produced by a 1014 W/cm2 laser irradiation of a metal target was investigated in real time with picosecond time resolution. The associated strong transient electric field was identified to have two components, which either focus or defocus the probe electron beam. The effects of this field on the probe electron beam can be reproduced by a self-expanding charge cloud containing about 5×107 suprathermal electrons with the outermost layer expanding at an average speed of 1.2×107 m/s.
Highly scaled charge-trapping layer of ZrON nonvolatile memory device with good retention
Authors: Tsai C. Y. , Lee T. H. , Cheng C. H. , Chin Albert , Wang Hong
Published: November 2010

We have fabricated the TaN–[SiO2–LaAlO3]–ZrON–[LaAlO3–SiO2]–Si charge-trapping flash device with highly scaled 3.6 nm equivalent-Si3N4-thickness. This device shows large 4.9 V initial memory window, and good retention of 3.4 V ten-year extrapolated retention window at 85 °C, under very fast 100 μs and low ±16 V program/erase. These excellent results were achieved using deep traps formed in ZrON trapping layer by As+ implantation that was significantly better than those of control device without ion implantation.
Herbage mass thresholds rather than plant phenology are a more useful cue for grazing management decisions in the mid-north region of South Australia
Authors: Kahn Lewis P. , Earl Judi M. , Nicholls Millie
Published: November 2010

Research was conducted in the mid-north of South Australia over the period 2000–05 to evaluate the effects of different grazing management cues on composition and production of a grassland. The management cues were based on calendar, plant phenology or herbage mass thresholds using grazing exclusion as a control. There were five grazing treatments: (i) regional practice (RP), where sheep grazed continuously for the period April–December; (ii) autumn rest, where sheep grazing was restricted to June–December; (iii) spring rest, where sheep grazing was restricted to April–August; (iv) high density and short duration (HDSD), where herbage mass thresholds determined when grazing occurred and for what duration; and (v) nil (NIL) grazing by domestic herbivores. Mean annual estimates of herbage mass were highest for NIL and HDSD and inclusion of the estimate of herbage consumption by sheep resulted in greatest primary plant production in HDSD. The contribution of perennial grasses to herbage mass declined with RP and seasonal grazing treatments. Frequency of perennial grasses was unaffected by grazing treatment but the number of perennial grass plants increased over time in RP and seasonal treatments. HDSD allowed maintenance of basal cover whereas bare ground increased with RP and seasonal treatments. Litter accumulated in NIL but this was associated with a decline in perennial basal cover. Seasonal grazing treatments did not provide an advantage over RP and there appeared to be no benefit from including phenology in management decisions. In contrast, HDSD resulted in a stable and productive grassland ecosystem, with stocking rate estimated at 78% greater than other treatments. These features offer a desirable mix for future industry adoption in the mid-north of South Australia.
Large-scale identification and translocation of type IV secretion substrates by
Coxiella burnetii
Authors: Chen Chen , Banga Simran , Mertens Katja , Weber Mary M. , Gorbaslieva Ivana , Tan Yunhao , Luo Zhao-Qing , Samuel James E.
Published: November 2010

Coxiella burnetii
is an obligate intracellular bacterial pathogen responsible for acute and chronic Q fever. This bacterium harbors a type IV secretion system (T4SS) highly similar to the Dot/Icm of
Legionella pneumophila
that is believed to be essential for its infectivity. Protein substrates of the
Coxiella
T4SS are predicted to facilitate the biogenesis of a phagosome permissive for its intracellular growth. However, due to the lack of genetic systems, protein transfer by the
C. burnetii
Dot/Icm has not been demonstrated. In this study, we report the identification of 32 substrates of the
C. burnetii
Dot/Icm system using a fluorescence-based β-lactamase (TEM1) translocation assay as well as the calmodulin-dependent adenylate cyclase (CyaA) assay in the surrogate host
L. pneumophila
. Notably, 26 identified T4SS substrates are hypothetical proteins without predicted function. Candidate secretion substrates were obtained by using (
i
) a genetic screen to identify
C. burnetii
proteins interacting with DotF, a component of the T4SS, and (
ii
) bioinformatic approaches to retrieve candidate genes that harbor characteristics associated with previously reported substrates of the Dot/Icm system from both
C. burnetii
and
L. pneumophila
. Moreover, we have developed a shuttle plasmid that allows the expression of recombinant proteins in
C. burnetii
as TEM fusion products. Using this system, we demonstrated that a Dot/Icm substrate identified with
L. pneumophila
was also translocated by
C. burnetii
in a process that requires its C terminus, providing direct genetic evidence of a functional T4SS in
C. burnetii
.
Mechanism of action and inhibition of dehydrosqualene synthase
Authors: Lin Fu-Yang , Liu Chia-I , Liu Yi-Liang , Zhang Yonghui , Wang Ke , Jeng Wen-Yih , Ko Tzu-Ping , Cao Rong , Wang Andrew H.-J. , Oldfield Eric
Published: November 2010

“Head-to-head” terpene synthases catalyze the first committed steps in sterol and carotenoid biosynthesis: the condensation of two isoprenoid diphosphates to form cyclopropylcarbinyl diphosphates, followed by ring opening. Here, we report the structures of
Staphylococcus aureus
dehydrosqualene synthase (CrtM) complexed with its reaction intermediate, presqualene diphosphate (PSPP), the dehydrosqualene (DHS) product, as well as a series of inhibitors. The results indicate that, on initial diphosphate loss, the primary carbocation so formed bends down into the interior of the protein to react with C2,3 double bond in the prenyl acceptor to form PSPP, with the lower two-thirds of both PSPP chains occupying essentially the same positions as found in the two farnesyl chains in the substrates. The second-half reaction is then initiated by the PSPP diphosphate returning back to the Mg
2+
cluster for ionization, with the resultant DHS so formed being trapped in a surface pocket. This mechanism is supported by the observation that cationic inhibitors (of interest as antiinfectives) bind with their positive charge located in the same region as the cyclopropyl carbinyl group; that S-
thiolo
-diphosphates only inhibit when in the allylic site; activity results on 11 mutants show that both DXXXD conserved domains are essential for PSPP ionization; and the observation that head-to-tail isoprenoid synthases as well as terpene cyclases have ionization and alkene-donor sites which spatially overlap those found in CrtM.
Setting New Standards
Authors: Holmes Janet
Published: November 2010

Social dialect data demonstrates that women tend to lead linguistic change in New Zealand English over a range of linguistic variables. This paper describes some current sound changes in New Zealand English, discusses their potential sources, and suggests possible mechanisms by which they percolate through the system. Women's role in language change is a controversial area. The final section examines a range of explanations which have been proposed to account for the patterns identified by researchers and assesses their relevance to the New Zealand data.
Language Attitudes at the Handover
Authors: Hyland Ken
Published: November 2010

Britain's 150 year colonial administration of Hong Kong came to an end in June 1997 when the territory reverted to Chinese sovereignty. Because the fate of languages is closely related to the power of different groups in a society, this constitutional transition raises important issues of language and identity. At present English continues to play an important role in business and administration while Cantonese is the lingua franca of a highly cohesive and independent community. However, the extent to which the colonial language is a component of the Territory's identity, and the prospect of it retaining an influential role, remains to be seen. Reunification is likely to have a considerable impact on language attitudes and use with Putonghua, the official language of mainland China, emerging to challenge English and Cantonese as a high status language in public domains. This paper builds on previous studies by Pierson et al. (1980) and Pennington & Yue (1994) to examine the changing language attitudes brought about by the handover. A questionnaire was administered to 900 Hong Kong undergraduates to discover students' perspectives on language and cultural identity, social, affective and instrumental attitudes and general predictions for language use with a view towards the political transition.
The Phonetics of Fish and Chips in New Zealand
Authors: Bell Allan
Published: November 2010

Centralization of the short /I/ vowel (as in KIT) is regarded by both linguists and lay observers as a defining feature of New Zealand English and even of national identity, especially when contrasted with the close front Australian realization. Variation in the KIT vowel is studied in the conversation of a sociolinguistic sample of 60 speakers of NZE, structured by gender, ethnicity (Maori and Pakeha [Anglo]) and age. KIT realizations are scattered from close front through to rather low backed positions, although some phonetic environments favour fronter variants. All Pakeha and most Maori informants use centralized realizations most of the time, but some older Maori speakers use more close front variants. This group is apparently influenced by the realization of short /I/ in the Maori language, as these are also the only fluent speakers of Maori in the sample. Close front realizations of KIT thus serve as a marker of Maori ethnicity, while centralization marks general New Zealand identity. Centralized /I/ appears to have been established in NZE by the early 20th century
English in the South African Defence Force
Authors: de Klerk Vivian , Barkhuizen Gary P.
Published: November 2010

The article reports on research carried out at an army camp in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa in 1996; it aimed to examine language use at the camp across all levels and in all contexts, in order to assess the degree to which South Africa's new multilingual language policy of 1994 has taken root, and in particular to ascertain the extent to which English was being used, and what troops and staff felt about its use. Questionnaires, interviews and observation techniques were used to provide a full description of linguistic practices, views and attitudes at all levels and in a wide range of activities in the camp. Results suggest that despite the national language policy, and despite a very low number of L1 English speakers in the camp, English is playing a very significant role across all levels as lingua franca for efficient communication, and this is matched with a pervasively positive view about its continued use.
Literacy in Melanesian and Australian Pidgins and Creoles
Authors: Siegel Jeff
Published: November 2010

Recent descriptions of literacy in the English-lexified pidgins and Creoles of Melanesia and Australia have described it as being imposed by outsiders, irrelevant to speakers of these languages and unsuitable for use in formal education. This article presents an opposing point of view. First it outlines recent developments in the region, showing that while literacy may have been introduced from the outside, it has been embraced by many pidgin and creole speakers and used for their own purposes, including education. Second, it describes research findings refuting claims that using a pidgin or creole as a language of education will cause confusion among students and interfere with their acquisition of English.
From Accent to Marker in Cajun English
Authors: Dubois Sylvie , Horvath Barbara M.
Published: November 2010

The English of bilingual Cajuns living in southern Louisiana has been described as an accented variety of English, the result of interference from French. In order to investigate this proposition, we present a variationist study of four features of Cajun English: 1) the interdental fricatives /th, ð7 realized by the dental stops [t, d]; 2) the failure to aspirate the stops /p, t, k/; 3) the monophthongization of /ai/ and 4) vowel nasalization. The data for this study are taken from the Cajun French/ English Sociolinguistic Survey; the survey has confirmed that English has become dominant in these communities over the last two generations. A sub-sample of 28 speakers, divided by gender into three age groups, is taken from St Landry Parish. If interference from French is the source of these features of Cajun English, we would expect a steady decrease in frequency over apparent time so that these vernacular features will be used more frequently by the older and less frequently by the middle-aged and least of all by the younger generation. The results of GoldVarb analysis of the variables show a complex interrelationship of age, gender and social network. All of the variables studied followed the expected pattern; the old generation use more of the vernacular variants than all others; the middle-aged dramatically decrease their use of the vernacular but the young generation exhibit a number of complex patterns in their use of the vernacular features. Interestingly the young follow the decreasing pattern for (p, t, k) but they show a level of usage for the other variables closer to the old generation so that there is a v-shaped age pattern rather than a pattern showing a steady decrease of the so-called accented features of Cajun English. We argue that although the vernacular forms produced by the older group can be considered part of an ethnic accent, they play a very different role in the younger generation which can be attributed both to French language attrition and to the on-going blossoming of a Cajun cultural renaissance. Being Cajun is now socially and economically advantageous; the younger generation, unlike the middle-aged, take pride in their Cajun identity. The functions of French for people under 40 years old have been significantly reduced so that it is now generally limited to the family domain and even more restricted in that it is used primarily in speaking with older members of the extended family. Given this situation, the only linguistic way to signal "Cajunness" is left to English.
Why You Talk Like That?
Authors: Alsagoff Lubna , Bao Zhiming , Wee Lionel
Published: November 2010

In this paper, we examine one wh-construction in Singapore English, which signals a demand for justification, and show that there is a systematic correlation between its structural and pragmatic properties. We suggest that this wh-construction is based on the imperative, and inherits the structural properties associated with the relatively more polite version of the imperative. In Singapore English, this is the version that makes explicit mention of the second person subject, whereas in Standard English the use of you in the imperative decreases politeness. After a careful comparison of the pragmatics of the imperative in Standard English, Singapore English and Chinese, we conclude that the asymmetry between the why-construction in Standard English and in Singapore English can be accounted for by substrate influence from Chinese, from which the Singaporean construction has inherited its politeness constraints.
The Functions and Status of English in Hong Kong
Authors: Li David C.S.
Published: November 2010

This paper is an update of Luke and Richards' (1982) study on the functions and status of English in Hong Kong. The sociolinguistic matrix is described by outlining the distribution of the main functions of the two written languages standard written Chinese (SWC) and English, and the three spoken languages Cantonese, English and Putonghua, in four key domains: government, media, employment and education. Cantonese and English remain the most important spoken languages. The macro-sociolinguistic analysis "diglossia without bilingual-ism" has given way to polyglossia with increasing bilingualism. There are two written H varieties, SWC and English, the former is penetrating into some domains formerly dominated by the latter. Cantonese, typically interspersed with some English, is assigned L functions in both spoken and written mediums. There is some indication that Putonghua is getting increasingly important in post-colonial Hong Kong, but there are as yet no significant social functions assigned to it. Compared with the early 1980s, significant changes have taken place at all levels. Language-related changes are discussed in light of a critical review of recent local research in a number of areas: medium of instruction, language right, linguistic imperialism, Hong Kong accent, Hong Kong identity and language attitudes toward Chinese and English. In view of the tremendous social prestige and symbolic predominance of English, it is argued that "value-added" is a more suitable epithet than "auxiliary" to characterize the status of English in post-1997 Hong Kong.
Shades of Things to Come
Authors: Gordon Elizabeth , Trudgill Peter
Published: November 2010

In Trudgill's 1983 follow-up of his 1968 urban dialect survey of Norwich, he showed that a labio-dental approximant pronunciation of /r/ which he had formerly dismissed as purely idiosyncratic, was actually early evidence of a sound change. Using this insight, the authors have taken present-day changes in New Zealand English and looked for evidence of them in an archive of recorded English spoken by New Zealanders born between the 1860s and 1890s. In this paper they demonstrate that early examples of present-day changes can be found in the speech of a few New Zealand speakers born as early as the 1860s, showing that some sound changes have their origins much further back than was ever realised. This new evidence raises the interesting question as to why some early variants should later develop into present-day features of New Zealand English and others disappear completely.
Getting in a Flap or Turning off the Tap in Dunedin?
Authors: Bayard Donn
Published: November 2010

T-flapping data from the formal-register Dunedin Survey of NZE are combined with Holmes' analysis of this variable in interview and casual conversational style drawn from the Wellington Corpus of Spoken New Zealand English. My goal was to see how this variable was related to some 15 other previously analysed phonological variables, and to arrive at an overall stylistic portrait of this variable in NZE. The two datasets fit together well, even though Holmes used Varbrul in her analysis while I relied on factor analysis and MANOVA. A number of Holmes' specific hypotheses are supported by the more formal Dunedin data.
Student Slang from Benin, Nigeria
Authors: Longe V.U.
Published: November 2010

The paper discusses some general properties of slang and presents a selection of slang expressions as used by students from the University of Benin, Nigeria. The terms collected are interpreted in the light of word formation patterns, semantic changes, and other categories.
On the Origins of the New Zealand English Accent
Authors: Bauer Laurie
Published: November 2010

In this paper it is argued that the New Zealand English accent is a mixed accent in origin, showing input from many areas in England south of a line from Cheshire to the Wash. It is argued that attributing the accent to more specific areas in England is possible only if some of the phonetic evidence is ignored. Accordingly, the notion of swamping (Lass 1990) is not specifically required to explain most of the features of the New Zealand accent: such south-eastern focus as there may be is largely the result of the failure of specifically south-eastern features to become stigmatised.
The first Italian grammars of the English language
Authors: Frank Thomas
Published: November 2010

Five grammars of the English language for the use of Italian learners (Pleunus 1701, Altieri 1728, Baretti 1762, Barker 1766, and Dalmazzoni 1788) were published during the 18th century. These grammars show that there was a growing interest in the English language and in English culture in general in 18th-century Italy. Part of this interest can be attributed to the presence of a large colony of English merchants in Leghorn (Livorno) and to the consequent development of trade between the two countries. These textbooks are largely based on the descriptions of English available at the time; in spite of being heavily conditioned by English spelling conventions, the Italian authors attempt, with varying success, to describe the phonology of English in a form suitable for their readers, namely, in terms of the Italian sound system. Their descriptions seek to define sounds considered ‘difficult’ for the foreign learner, e.g., /æ/ and /˄/ (described prevalently in terms of [a] and [ɔ] respectively), or such consonant sounds as /θ/ and /???/. They also provide at times corroborative evidence, which is compared with the testimony of certain contemporary English authors, e.g., Johnston (1764) and Walker (1791), of the state of the English language at the time. Their description of the English vowel system, in particular, throws some light on the pronunciation of English during the 18th century, but none of them, for example, records the gradual loss of post-vocalic r, which we know from other sources had already begun at this period. The treatment of the grammatical structure of English found in these grammars is largely traditional, and although some attempts are made to describe the peculiarities of English grammar, the rules given are frequently vague and uncertain.
The trivium arts and contemporary linguistics
Authors: Scaglione Aldo
Published: November 2010

In the Prague School, and particularly in its most illustrious representative, Roman Jakobson, two discrete yet somewhat convergent themes of linguistic speculation appear to have come together. First, the notion that word order is a crucial testing ground for observation of the structures of thought and language. Second, the borrowing of rhetorical figures to explain contrasting modes of expression on the mental, linguistic, as well as stylistic-poetic levels. Both themes ultimately derive from traditional speculation on style and language in a characteristic and exemplary process of joining rhetoric and grammar.
El ‘Prosodion’ De Juan Gil De Zamora
Authors: Alonso Luis
Published: November 2010

The paper is a preliminary synthesis of the work-in-progress on a critical edition of theProsodion,a grammatical treatise by Gil de Zamora (fl. 1280). It begins with a biographical sketch of the author in which his work is placed within the grammatical trends of the Middle Ages. The next section deals with problems connected with the textual transmission, the distribution, and diffusion of the work. Two branches of filiation of the manuscripts, corresponding to two grammatical schools are distinguished: an Italian (viz. the Florence and Todi MSS) and a French school (viz. the Paris and Merville MSS). Given the change in the dedication and the considerable increase of the text, which shows a doubling of the original size in the most recent MSS (Todi), it is argued that a two-fold redaction must have taken place. Special importance is attached to the analysis of the sources of and their treatment in theProsodion.It becomes obvious that Gil de Zamora is a mere compilator of grammatical works from different sources, which he arranges, adapts, and combines without any attempt at an original contribution.

The next section of the paper is devoted to an analysis of the organization and contents of the work. It reveals theProsodionas a modernized version of Priscian’sInstitutiones, largely guided by the scholastic, rational method of Petrus Helias. The three treatises which compose the work are analysed in the following order: (a) Orthography, with a list of terms of orthographical difficulties; (b) Prosody, with a glossary of terms and problems in matters of accentuation, and (c) a Treatise concerning punctuation and pauses. The concluding portion emphasizes essential features of Zamora’s work: Its harmonizing attitude towards ‘old’ and ‘modern’ grammarians, the survival of Priscian’s doctrines in 13th-century Spain, and the practical conception of grammar as opposed to the speculative trends in Paris and Northern Europe.
The reception of Hebrew in sixteenth-century Europe
Authors: Percival W. Keith
Published: November 2010

The main thesis of this article is that a species of general linguistics arose in 16th-century western Europe as a result of the impact of Hebrew studies. Two features of traditional Hebrew grammatical practice produced this, effect: (1) the phonetic classification of consonants by point of articulation, and (2) the analysis of words in terms of roots and affixes. Two works from the early 16th century are cited at some length: a treatise on the pronunciation of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew by the great Spanish humanist Antonio de Nebrija (De vi ac potestate litterarum), which first appeared in Salamanca in 1503; and Johannes Reuchlin’s Hebrew grammar, printed in Pforzheim in 1506. Nebrija exemplifies the impact of Hebrew phonetic theory, while Reuchlin expounds the traditional Hebrew morphological analysis, in the course of which he introduces the novel concept of the root. Moreover, in his treatment of Hebrew orthography he describes the sounds of the language both auditorily and physiologically.

In the second part of the article, the subsequent influence of Hebrew grammatical and linguistic notions is discussed. Reference is made to a work by the French orientalist Guillaume Postel (De originibus), in which the author contrasts the Semitic languages with the two classical languages typologically, calling the former ‘natural’ and the latter ‘grammatical’. There then follows an analysis of a work by the Swiss Hebraist Theodor Bibliander (De ratione communi omnium linguarum), in which the suggestion is made that all languages can be grammatically analysed in a uniform fashion utilizing the Hebrew descriptive framework and then compared with one another. The acquaintance with Semitic languages also introduced Christian scholars for the first time to a paradigm case of a family of related languages. Thus, we see the tentative adumbrations in the 16th century of both typological and genetic classification.
La alfabetización de la lengua nahuatl
Authors: Rubio Elena Díaz , García Jesús Bustamante
Published: November 2010

The alphabetization of the Nahuatl language represents the first European experiment in the transformation of an American language into a literary language, an experiment realized in a fashion parallel to the first studies of the European vernaculars. This alphabetization was realized in a long process from the earliest contacts to the middle of the 17th century. It is possible to discern at least three stages. The first corresponds to the period which immediately folows the conquest (1523–1547). All efforts were concentrated at the time on the learning of the language, a learning without precedent, resulting in its being cast in the Procrustian bed of the orthographic conventions of Castillian. The goal was not proper alphabetization. The second stage (1547–1595) corresponds to a period in the deepening of the knowledge of Nahuatl, a process reflected in the first ‘artes’ or treatises and vocabularies. This improved knowledge of the language led to the realization that a more appropriate orthography was required. The third and final stage in the alphabetization of Nahuatl (1595–1673) is characterized by linguistic research which no doubt has its antecedents in the investigation of other ‘exotic’ languages and which is aimed at an improved analysis of this language of Mexico. The orthographic endeavours are now directed toward a reform of the writing system which includes the introduction of new characters in an attempt to capture the phonological particularities of Nahuatl. From this history of the long process of alphabetization, it is evident that a detailed analysis of the phonological descriptions and the orthographic principles conserved in the treatises until 1673 not only allows us to appreciate the achievements of these early linguists but also provides us with valuable information about the phonological system of classical Nahuatl as well as of Castillian of the period.