bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Long-term effects of engineered nanoparticles on enzyme activity and functional bacteria in wastewater treatment plants
Authors: Zheng Xiong , Huang Haining , Su Yinglong , Wei Yuanyuan , Chen Yinguang
Published: June 2015

The pervasive use of engineered nanoparticles (NPs) in a wide range of fields raises concerns about their potential environmental impacts. Previous studies confirmed that some NPs had already entered wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). Wastewater nutrient removal depends on the metabolisms of activated sludge bacteria and their related key enzymes. Therefore, this study compared the possible influences of Al2O3, SiO2, TiO2, and ZnO NPs on the key enzymes activities and microbial community structures involved in wastewater treatment facilities. It was found that long-term exposure to these NPs significantly affected the microbial communities and changed the relative abundances of key functional bacteria, such as ammonia-oxidizing bacteria. Also, the gene expressions and catalytic activities of essential enzymes, such as ammonia monooxygenase, nitrite oxidoreductase, nitrate reductase, and nitrite reductase, were decreased, which finally resulted in a lower efficiency of biological nitrogen removal.
Presence and persistence of wastewater pathogen Escherichia coli O157:H7 in hydroponic reactors of treatment wetland species
Authors: VanKempen-Fryling R. J. , Stein O. R. , Camper A. K.
Published: June 2015

Treatment wetlands (TWs) efficiently remove many pollutants including a several log order reduction of pathogens from influent to effluent; however, there is evidence to suggest that pathogen cells are sequestered in a subsurface wetland and may remain viable months after inoculation. Escherichia coli is a common pathogen in domestic and agricultural wastewater and the O157:H7 strain causes most environmental outbreaks in the United States. To assess attachment of E. coli to the TW rhizosphere, direct measurements of E. coli levels were taken. Experiments were performed in chemostats containing either Teflon nylon as an abiotic control or roots of Carex utriculata or Schoenoplectus acutus. Flow of simulated wastewater through the chemostat was set to maintain a 2 hour residence time. The influent was inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 containing DsRed fluorescent protein. Root samples were excised and analyzed via epifluorescent microscopy. E. coli O157:H7 was detected on the root surface at 2 hours after inoculation, and were visible as single cells. Microcolonies began forming at 24 hours post-inoculation and were detected for up to 1 week post-inoculation. Image analysis determined that the number of microcolonies with >100 cells increased 1 week post-inoculation, confirming that E. coli O157:H7 is capable of growth within biofilms surrounding wetland plant roots.
Administrative decentralization and tax compliance: A transactional cost perspective
Authors: Cui Wei
Published: June 2015

A common phenomenon in tax administration in developing countries is that tax is collected, not according to the rules of law, but according to informal agreements between taxpayers and tax collectors. This article offers a novel explanation of this phenomenon in the Chinese context in terms of administrative decentralization. Administrative decentralization is defined as the concentration of government functions at the lowest ranks of a geographically dispersed bureaucracy. Decentralization increases the communication costs associated with the implementation of law and changes the structure of taxpayers’ costs in obtaining knowledge about the law. As a result, there emerges a ‘semi-compliant’ type of behaviour, involving many taxpayers who would have been compliant under a rule-based system, where tax is remitted and collected despite both sides’ being under-informed about the law. The article argues that this dynamic has frustrated tax administration reform in China and, interestingly, explains the underdevelopment of the tax professions and of tax litigation.
Taking purposes seriously: The purposive scope and textual bounds of interpretation under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Authors: Oliphant Benjamin J
Published: June 2015

In order for judicial review under the Constitution to be compatible with the rule of law, there must be some tangible constraints on judicial discretion. The author puts forward an account of interpretation under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms that views both the text and purposes underlying it as meaningful constraints on the range of meanings available to interpreters. In particular, the author seeks to demonstrate that purposivism as a method of interpretation can, and frequently has in the Canadian context, operated to narrow the scope of vague and under-determinate constitutional guarantees. The author criticizes more expansive forms of purposivism, which seek not only to inform the meaning of the words included in the Charter but also to give those purposes said to animate the guarantees independent legal force. This point is illustrated with particular reference to the Supreme Court of Canada’s right to vote jurisprudence. The author concludes that these more aggressive approaches to purposivism risk elevating judicially ascertained purposes to the same legal status as the language enacted into law and undermine the defence frequently offered in support of the legitimacy of judicial review under the Charter – that it stems from the deliberate choices of the people.
The (ir)relevance of constitutional protection for property rights? Compensation for takings in Canada and the United States
Authors: Metcalf Cherie
Published: June 2015

Requiring a government to pay compensation when it takes property is a common means of protecting property rights. In this article, I explore the implications of this right to property having a constitutional form, rather than a statutory or common law form, by examining the comparative law of compensation for takings in Canada and the United States. The analysis is focused on the various functional interests in efficiency and fairness that underlie the protection of property rights and their often competing requirements for rigidity and flexibility. Rather than providing a binding constraint that enhances efficiency, the choice of a constitutional form appears most consistent with the prioritization of distributive concerns around government’s power over property rights. However, the substantive protection of property rights appears to be driven as much by the underlying interests as by the choice of legal form. Variation in the practical content of property rights in Canada and the United States is much more subtle than the difference in constitutional status suggests.
Improved data evaluation methodology for energy ranges with missing experimental data
Authors: Konobeyev A. Yu. , Fischer U. , Capote R.
Published: June 2015

A number of improvements of the data evaluation concerning nuclear model calculations and evaluation procedures are considered. A promising combination of the hybrid Monte Carlo simulation model of M. Blann for the modelling of non-equilibrium particle emission and the Hauser-Feshbach model, and a possible correction of simulations using intranuclear cascade evaporation model are discussed. In the last case the modelling of particle emission is improved by the consideration of nucleon-cluster interactions. The approach for reliable predictions of cross-sections using “optimal” nuclear model parameters and the method of their generation is discussed.
From the Desk of Editor-in-Chief Vol.5(2)
Authors: Khan Md Aminul Haque
Published: June 2015

Abstract not availableJ Enam Med Col 2015; 5(2): 67
Causes, Management and Immediate Complications of Management of Neonatal Jaundice ? A Hospital-Based Study
Authors: Hossain Mahmud , Begum Momotaj , Ahmed Shafi , Absar Md Nurul
Published: June 2015

Background: Jaundice is very common in the neonatal period of life. Although it is not a major cause of mortality, it is an important cause of morbidity. So, assessment of the causes and risk factors of neonatal jaundice is very important.Objectives: The objectives of the study were to find out the causes of jaundice, its clinical features, evaluation of the outcome of current management strategy and complications encountered by the participating subjects following treatment.Materials and Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the Neonatal Unit of Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RpMCH) during July to December 2006. A total of 100 neonates having jaundice on admission or who developed jaundice following admission were included in the study. A number of investigations were done for the purpose of assessment of neonates and their icteric condition. The test statistics used to analyse the data were descriptive statistics, Chi-square (?2) and correlation tests.Results: In the present study the median age of the jaundiced newborns on admission was 5 days, while the median age of appearance of jaundice was 3.5 days. Most of the newborns exhibited jaundice 24 hours after birth and peaked by 34 days. Majority of the subjects (77%) had pathological jaundice and only 23% had physiological jaundice. This study shows septicemia was in 28% cases followed by asphyxia (20%), prematurity (18%), Rh incompatibility (15%), IUGR (11%) etc. Half of the newborns (51%) had serum bilirubin (indirect) >10 mg/dL. Gestational age and serum bilirubin was found to exhibit a negative correlation. Preterm babies also tend to develop severe to very severe jaundice more than their term counterparts (p<0.001). Birth weight was also found to bear a negative correlation with serum bilirubin. Low birth weight (LBW) babies also had a significantly higher tendency to develop severe to very severe jaundice (p<0.001). Of the 77 patients who were treated, about 64% received phototherapy, 61% received antibiotics and very few (5.2%) received exchange transfusion. Majority of the patients developed some sorts of complications. The predominant complications of phototherapy were irritability (40.8%) followed by skin rashes (26.5%), loose motion (20.4%) and dehydration (16.3%). Very few newborns (4%) had hyperthermia. All four babies who received exchange transfusion suffered from hypovolaemia, one developed hypoglycaemia and one exhibited anaemia.Conclusion: Neonatal jaundice is a leading cause of hospitalisation in the first few weeks of life throughout the world. Though management of unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia in newborns has undergone changes based on emerging evidences, phototherapy and exchange blood transfusion are still the most commonly used effective modalities for lowering serum bilirubin level.J Enam Med Col 2015; 5(2): 104-109
Images in Clinical Medicine 5(2)
Authors: Amin Mashah Binte
Published: June 2015

Abstract not availableJ Enam Med Col 2015; 5(2): 125-127
An Audit of the Patients Treated in Paediatric Surgery Department of Ad-din Womens Medical College Hospital, Dhaka
Authors: Rahman Musrat , Islam Rezaul , Alim SM A
Published: June 2015

Background: Surgery without audit is like playing without keeping the score. Medical/Surgical Audit is the evaluation of the quality and efficiency of the surgical services offered to the patients by a group of Medical Personnel in a Hospital. A surgical Audit of the patients of Department of Pediatric Surgery in a non-government Hospital was performed to evaluate overall performance and the quality of service delivered to the patients.Methods: It was a randomized study carried out in the department of Pediatric surgery in Ad-din Womens Medical College Hospital during the period of January 2008 to December 2012 (total 5 years). Total 4613 patients were included in this study. Among them 832 (15.91%) patients were treated after admission and 4396(84.09%) patients were treated as OPD patients.Results: Among the total 4613 patients, 3953 patients were male and 660 patients were female. Total 3127 patients were under 5 years and 1486 patients were over 5 years. Among total 832 admission, 551 (66.22%) were elective cases and 281 (33.78%) were emergency cases.Conclusion: Clinical audit is a process. It is a process used by clinicians who seek to improve patient care. So in this audit we have tried to evaluate our overall performance and the quality of service delivered to our patients in the last 5 years period to find out the limitations and deficiencies prevailing in this field.J. Paediatr. Surg. Bangladesh 3(1): 26-29, 2012 (January)
Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus in children: Role of a Paediatric Surgeon
Authors: Siddiqui Md Tosadeque Hossain , Alam Shoheli , Ahmed Zeba
Published: June 2015

Spina bifida and Hydrocephalus is one of the most common malformations in Paediatric Surgery. Though the two diseases has their own way of presentation but Spina bifida is accompanied by hydrocephalus in 80 to 90% of cases and treatment protocol is interrelated. As a general paediatric surgeon of the third world country we are facing the challenging job in our day to day practice. The etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis is not well understood and gratifying. We dont have so much interest on the most vital but neglected birth defect. My aim of discussing this two entity at a time to show light on this malformation and make all paediatric surgeon a bit conscious about the disease process and treatment modalities. So that only referring the patient to a tertiary hospital is not the job of a paediatric surgeon rather we must come forward to prevent and treat this major morbid diseases with ourselves. As a paediatric surgeon our role is not to become a good general paediatric surgeon, also acquire proficiency on other speciality like urology, neurosurgery, orthopaedics, reconstructive & oncology.J. Paediatr. Surg. Bangladesh 3(1): 37-46, 2012 (January)
Molecular Interactions between NR4A Orphan Nuclear Receptors and NF-κB Are Required for Appropriate Inflammatory Responses and Immune Cell Homeostasis
Authors: Murphy Evelyn , Crean Daniel
Published: June 2015

Appropriate innate and adaptive immune responses are essential for protection and resolution against chemical, physical or biological insults. Immune cell polarization is fundamental in orchestrating distinct phases of inflammation, specifically acute phase responses followed by resolution and tissue repair. Dysregulation of immune cell and inflammatory responses is a hallmark of multiple diseases encompassing atherosclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and metabolic syndromes. A master transcriptional mediator of diverse inflammatory signaling and immune cell function is NF-κB, and altered control of this key regulator can lead to an effective switch from acute to chronic inflammatory responses. Members of the nuclear receptor (NR) superfamily of ligand-dependent transcription factors crosstalk with NF-κB to regulate immune cell function(s). Within the NR superfamily the NR4A1-3 orphan receptors have emerged as important regulators of immune cell polarization and NF-κB signaling. NR4A receptors modulate NF-κB activity in a dynamic fashion, either repressing or enhancing target gene expression leading to altered inflammatory outcome. Here we will discuss the pivotal role NR4A’s receptors play in orchestrating immune cell homeostasis through molecular crosstalk with NF-κB. Specifically, we will examine such NR4A/NF-κB interactions within the context of distinct cell phenotypes, including monocyte, macrophage, T cells, endothelial, and mesenchymal cells, which play a role in inflammation-associated disease. Finally, we review the therapeutic potential of altering NR4A/NF-κB interactions to limit hyper-inflammatory responses in vivo.
Removal Efficiency of Faecal Indicator Organisms, Nutrients and Heavy Metals from a Peri-Urban Wastewater Treatment Plant in Thohoyandou, Limpopo Province, South Africa
Authors: Edokpayi Joshua , Odiyo John , Msagati Titus , Popoola Elizabeth
Published: June 2015

Wastewater treatment facilities are known sources of fresh water pollution. This study was carried out from January to June 2014 to assess the reduction efficiency of some selected contaminants in the Thohoyandou wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The pH and electrical conductivity of the effluent fell within the South African wastewater discharge guidelines. The WWTP showed the chemical oxygen demand reduction efficiency required by the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) guidelines of 75 mg/L for the months of April and June, although it was below this standard in March and May. Free chlorine concentration varied between 0.26–0.96 mg/L and exceeded the DWA guideline value of 0.25 mg/L. The concentration of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3− N) in the influent and effluent varied between 0.499–2.31 mg/L and 7.545–19.413 mg/L, respectively. The concentration of NO3− N in the effluent complied with DWA effluent discharge standard of 15 mg/L, except in April and May. Phosphate concentrations in the influent and effluent were in the ranges of 0.552–42.646 mg/L and 1.572–32.554 mg/L, respectively. The WWTP showed reduction efficiencies of E. coli and Enterococci during some sampling periods but the level found in the effluent exceeded the recommended guideline value of 1000 cfu/100 mL for faecal indicator organisms in wastewater effluents. Consistent removal efficiencies were observed for Al (32–74%), Fe (7–32%) and Zn (24–94%) in most of the sampling months. In conclusion, the Thohoyandou WWTP is inefficient in treating wastewater to the acceptable quality before discharge.
Kinetic Modification on Hydrogen Desorption of Lithium Hydride and Magnesium Amide System
Authors: Miyaoka Hiroki , Wang Yongming , Hino Satoshi , Isobe Shigehito , Tokoyoda Kazuhiko , Ichikawa Takayuki , Kojima Yoshitsugu
Published: June 2015

Various synthesis and rehydrogenation processes of lithium hydride (LiH) and magnesium amide (Mg(NH2)2) system with 8:3 molar ratio are investigated to understand the kinetic factors and effectively utilize the essential hydrogen desorption properties. For the hydrogen desorption with a solid-solid reaction, it is expected that the kinetic properties become worse by the sintering and phase separation. In fact, it is experimentally found that the low crystalline size and the close contact of LiH and Mg(NH2)2 lead to the fast hydrogen desorption. To preserve the potential hydrogen desorption properties, thermochemical and mechanochemical rehydrogenation processes are investigated. Although the only thermochemical process results in slowing the reaction rate due to the crystallization, the ball-milling can recover the original hydrogen desorption properties. Furthermore, the mechanochemical process at 150 °C is useful as the rehydrogenation technique to preserve the suitable crystalline size and mixing state of the reactants. As a result, it is demonstrated that the 8LiH and 3Mg(NH2)2 system is recognized as the potential hydrogen storage material to desorb more than 5.5 mass% of H2 at 150 °C.
Marine Peptides: Bioactivities and Applications
Authors: Cheung Randy , Ng Tzi , Wong Jack
Published: June 2015

Peptides are important bioactive natural products which are present in many marine species. These marine peptides have high potential nutraceutical and medicinal values because of their broad spectra of bioactivities. Their antimicrobial, antiviral, antitumor, antioxidative, cardioprotective (antihypertensive, antiatherosclerotic and anticoagulant), immunomodulatory, analgesic, anxiolytic anti-diabetic, appetite suppressing and neuroprotective activities have attracted the attention of the pharmaceutical industry, which attempts to design them for use in the treatment or prevention of various diseases. Some marine peptides or their derivatives have high commercial values and had reached the pharmaceutical and nutraceutical markets. A large number of them are already in different phases of the clinical and preclinical pipeline. This review highlights the recent research in marine peptides and the trends and prospects for the future, with special emphasis on nutraceutical and pharmaceutical development into marketed products.
Effect of Yttrium Addition on Glass-Forming Ability and Magnetic Properties of Fe–Co–B–Si–Nb Bulk Metallic Glass
Authors: Bitoh Teruo , Watanabe Dai
Published: June 2015

The glass-forming ability (GFA) and the magnetic properties of the [(Fe0.5Co0.5)0.75B0.20Si0.05]96Nb4−xYx bulk metallic glasses (BMGs) have been studied. The partial replacement of Nb by Y improves the thermal stability of the glass against crystallization. The saturation mass magnetization (σs) exhibits a maximum around 2 at. % Y, and the value of σs of the alloy with 2 at. % Y is 6.5% larger than that of the Y-free alloy. The coercivity shows a tendency to decrease with increasing Y content. These results indicate that the partial replacement of Nb by Y in the Fe–Co–B–Si–Nb BMGs is useful to simultaneous achievement of high GFA, high σs, and good soft magnetic properties.
Effect of Laser-Induced Heating on Raman Measurement within a Silicon Microfluidic Channel
Authors: Lin Ying , Yu Xinhai , Wang Zhenyu , Tu Shan-Tung , Wang Zhengdong
Published: June 2015

When Raman microscopy is adopted to detect the chemical and biological processes in the silicon microfluidic channel, the laser-induced heating effect will cause a temperature rise in the sample liquid. This undesired temperature rise will mislead the Raman measurement during the temperature-influencing processes. In this paper, computational fluid dynamics simulations were conducted to evaluate the maximum local temperature-rise (MLT). Through the orthogonal analysis, the sensitivity of potential influencing parameters to the MLT was determined. In addition, it was found from transient simulations that it is reasonable to assume the actual measurement to be steady-state. Simulation results were qualitatively validated by experimental data from the Raman measurement of diffusion, a temperature-dependent process. A correlation was proposed for the first time to estimate the MLT. Simple in form and convenient for calculation, this correlation can be efficiently applied to Raman measurement in a silicon microfluidic channel.
Ambiphilic Frustrated Lewis Pair Exhibiting High Robustness and Reversible Water Activation: Towards the Metal-Free Hydrogenation of Carbon Dioxide
Authors: Rochette Étienne , Courtemanche Marc-André , Pulis Alexander , Bi Wenhua , Fontaine Frédéric-Georges
Published: June 2015

The synthesis and structural characterization of a phenylene-bridged Frustrated Lewis Pair (FLP) having a 2,2,6,6‑tetramethylpiperidine (TMP) as the Lewis base and a 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (BBN) as the Lewis acid is reported. This FLP exhibits unique robustness towards the products of carbon dioxide hydrogenation. The compound shows reversible splitting of water, formic acid and methanol while no reaction is observed in the presence of excess formaldehyde. The molecule is incredibly robust, showing little sign of degradation after heating at 80 °C in benzene with 10 equiv. of formic acid for 24 h. The robustness of the system could be exploited in the design of metal-free catalysts for the hydrogenation of carbon dioxide.
Elimination of Bloodstream Infections Associated with Candida albicans Biofilm in Intravascular Catheters
Authors: Akbari Freshta , Kjellerup Birthe
Published: June 2015

Intravascular catheters are among the most commonly inserted medical devices and they are known to cause a large number of catheter related bloodstream infections (BSIs). Biofilms are associated with many chronic infections due to the aggregation of microorganisms. One of these organisms is the fungus Candida albicans. It has shown to be one of the leading causes of catheter-related BSIs. The presence of biofilm on intravascular catheters provide increased tolerance against antimicrobial treatments, thus alternative treatment strategies are sought. Traditionally, many strategies, such as application of combined antimicrobials, addition of antifungals, and removal of catheters, have been practiced, but they were not successful in eradicating BSIs. Since these fungal infections can result in significant morbidity, mortality, and increased healthcare cost, other promising preventive strategies, including antimicrobial lock therapy, chelating agents, alcohol, and biofilm disruptors, have been applied. In this review, current success and failure of these new approaches, and a comparison with the previous strategies are discussed in order to understand which preventative treatment is the most effective in controlling the catheter-related BSIs.
Transdermal Delivery of Drugs with Microneedles—Potential and Challenges
Authors: Ita Kevin
Published: June 2015

Transdermal drug delivery offers a number of advantages including improved patient compliance, sustained release, avoidance of gastric irritation, as well as elimination of pre-systemic first-pass effect. However, only few medications can be delivered through the transdermal route in therapeutic amounts. Microneedles can be used to enhance transdermal drug delivery. In this review, different types of microneedles are described and their methods of fabrication highlighted. Microneedles can be fabricated in different forms: hollow, solid, and dissolving. There are also hydrogel-forming microneedles. A special attention is paid to hydrogel-forming microneedles. These are innovative microneedles which do not contain drugs but imbibe interstitial fluid to form continuous conduits between dermal microcirculation and an attached patch-type reservoir. Several microneedles approved by regulatory authorities for clinical use are also examined. The last part of this review discusses concerns and challenges regarding microneedle use.
Recognition of a Phase-Sensitivity OTDR Sensing System Based on Morphologic Feature Extraction
Authors: Sun Qian , Feng Hao , Yan Xueying , Zeng Zhoumo
Published: June 2015

This paper proposes a novel feature extraction method for intrusion event recognition within a phase-sensitive optical time-domain reflectometer (Φ-OTDR) sensing system. Feature extraction of time domain signals in these systems is time-consuming and may lead to inaccuracies due to noise disturbances. The recognition accuracy and speed of current systems cannot meet the requirements of Φ-OTDR online vibration monitoring systems. In the method proposed in this paper, the time-space domain signal is used for feature extraction instead of the time domain signal. Feature vectors are obtained from morphologic features of time-space domain signals. A scatter matrix is calculated for the feature selection. Experiments show that the feature extraction method proposed in this paper can greatly improve recognition accuracies, with a lower computation time than traditional methods, i.e., a recognition accuracy of 97.8% can be achieved with a recognition time of below 1 s, making it is very suitable for Φ-OTDR system online vibration monitoring.
A Novel 2D-to-3D Video Conversion Method Using Time-Coherent Depth Maps
Authors: Yin Shouyi , Dong Hao , Jiang Guangli , Liu Leibo , Wei Shaojun
Published: June 2015

In this paper, we propose a novel 2D-to-3D video conversion method for 3D entertainment applications. 3D entertainment is getting more and more popular and can be found in many contexts, such as TV and home gaming equipment. 3D image sensors are a new method to produce stereoscopic video content conveniently and at a low cost, and can thus meet the urgent demand for 3D videos in the 3D entertaiment market. Generally, 2D image sensor and 2D-to-3D conversion chip can compose a 3D image sensor. Our study presents a novel 2D-to-3D video conversion algorithm which can be adopted in a 3D image sensor. In our algorithm, a depth map is generated by combining global depth gradient and local depth refinement for each frame of 2D video input. Global depth gradient is computed according to image type while local depth refinement is related to color information. As input 2D video content consists of a number of video shots, the proposed algorithm reuses the global depth gradient of frames within the same video shot to generate time-coherent depth maps. The experimental results prove that this novel method can adapt to different image types, reduce computational complexity and improve the temporal smoothness of generated 3D video.
A Synthetic Bandwidth Method for High-Resolution SAR Based on PGA in the Range Dimension
Authors: Li Jincheng , Chen Jie , Liu Wei , Wang Pengbo , Li Chunsheng
Published: June 2015

The synthetic bandwidth technique is an effective method to achieve ultra-high range resolution in an SAR system. There are mainly two challenges in its implementation. The first one is the estimation and compensation of system errors, such as the timing deviation and the amplitude-phase error. Due to precision limitation of the radar instrument, construction of the sub-band signals becomes much more complicated with these errors. The second challenge lies in the combination method, that is how to fit the sub-band signals together into a much wider bandwidth. In this paper, a novel synthetic bandwidth approach is presented. It considers two main errors of the multi-sub-band SAR system and compensates them by a two-order PGA (phase gradient auto-focus)-based method, named TRPGA. Furthermore, an improved cut-paste method is proposed to combine the signals in the frequency domain. It exploits the redundancy of errors and requires only a limited amount of data in the azimuth direction for error estimation. Moreover, the up-sampling operation can be avoided in the combination process. Imaging results based on both simulated and real data are presented to validate the proposed approach.
Training Conservation Practitioners to be Better Decision Makers
Authors: Johnson Fred , Eaton Mitchell , Williams James , Jensen Gitte , Madsen Jesper
Published: June 2015

Traditional conservation curricula and training typically emphasizes only one part of systematic decision making (i.e., the science), at the expense of preparing conservation practitioners with critical skills in values-setting, working with decision makers and stakeholders, and effective problem framing. In this article we describe how the application of decision science is relevant to conservation problems and suggest how current and future conservation practitioners can be trained to be better decision makers. Though decision-analytic approaches vary considerably, they all involve: (1) properly formulating the decision problem; (2) specifying feasible alternative actions; and (3) selecting criteria for evaluating potential outcomes. Two approaches are available for providing training in decision science, with each serving different needs. Formal education is useful for providing simple, well-defined problems that allow demonstrations of the structure, axioms and general characteristics of a decision-analytic approach. In contrast, practical training can offer complex, realistic decision problems requiring more careful structuring and analysis than those used for formal training purposes. Ultimately, the kinds and degree of training necessary depend on the role conservation practitioners play in a decision-making process. Those attempting to facilitate decision-making processes will need advanced training in both technical aspects of decision science and in facilitation techniques, as well as opportunities to apprentice under decision analysts/consultants. Our primary goal should be an attempt to ingrain a discipline for applying clarity of thought to all decisions.
The Perceptual Dimensions of Sonority-Driven Epenthesis
Authors: Fullwood Michelle Alison
Published: June 2015

Vowel epenthesis often appears to preferentially target consonant clusters with rising sonority. One explanation for this is perceptual faithfulness (Fleischhacker, 2002; Steriade, 2006): rising sonority clusters are more susceptible to epenthesis because the perceptual distance between the underlying /C1-C2/ sequence and its correspondent output sequence [C1-V-C2] is small, thus incurring a smaller faithfulness cost. This raises the question of how to compute the perceptual distance between two sonority contours /C1-C2/ and [C1-V-C2] in terms of the sonority of C1, C2 and V. In this paper, I propose the metric Sonority Angle, the angle formed by the contours /C1-C2/ and [C1-V]. I apply it in analysing two case studies of sonority-driven epenthesis, Chaha and Irish. A comparison is made to another possible metric, Sonority Rise (Flemming, 2008), the ratio of the gradients of the two contours, as well as to Syllable Contact and Sonority Sequencing, which represent an alternative, markedness-based approach to the problem of sonority-driven epenthesis.
Vowel Epenthesis and Consonant Deletion in Japanese Loanwords from English
Authors: Shoji Shinichi , Shoji Kazuko
Published: June 2015

The current study examines Japanese loanwords from English in the framework of optimality theory (OT). The goal of this study is to investigate which vowels native Japanese-speaking borrowers epenthesize and when they delete consonants in modifying English source words. We aim to offer (i) a unified explanation with a single ranking of constraints for vowel epenthesis and (ii) a perceptual explanation for consonant deletion. Two experiments with native Japanese speakers were conducted to support the proposed analyses. The first experiment demonstrated that, when modifying illicit phonotactics in foreign words, native Japanese speakers select epenthetic vowels based on the constraint ranking of: Complex, CodaCond >> Max-IO  >> Palatal-Front, SyllableInventoryStructure (SIS), Ident-IO >> *Round, *Low >> *Front >> High >> Back >> Dep-IO. The second experiment revealed that Japanese loanwords can be subject to deletion of consonants rather than vowel epenthesis, due to the lack of perceptual salience; Japanese speakers delete consonants when they fail to perceive consonants in coda and clusters in source words, especially when the source words are aurally given.
What is the domain for weight computation: the syllable or the interval?
Authors: Hirsch Aron
Published: June 2015

The distribution of lexical stress is sensitive to the weight of rhythmic units such that heavier units more strongly attract stress. This paper addresses the question: what is the rhythmic unit relevant for weight computation? The traditional approach links weight to the syllable: weight is computed over the syllable rime (review in Blevins 1995), possibly with limited onset-sensitivity (Kelly 2004, Gordon 2005, Ryan 2013). I present experimental data which challenge this view, and support a recently proposed non-syllable-based alternative according to which weight is computed over the total vowel-to-vowel interval (Steriade 2012). Using a nonce word production paradigm, I test how likely participants are to stress the initial vs. final vowel in bi-vocalic sequences, manipulating the consonantal interlude separating the two vowels between a single C (e.g. aka) and CC cluster (akra). Initial stress is more likely with CC than C -- medial consonants contribute weight to pull stress to the initial vowel, CC contributing more weight than C. This is incompatible with syllable constituency which parses C/CC in the onset of the final syllable (a.ka, a.kra), and supportive of interval constituency which parses C/CC in the initial interval (ak*a, akr*a).
Idiosyncratically Transparent Vowels in Kazakh
Authors: Bowman Samuel R. , Lokshin Benjamin
Published: June 2015

Idiosyncratically transparent vowels—those that fail to either undergo or trigger harmony in a particular morpheme but do both elsewhere—have not been documented in any language, and have been claimed to be impossible as recently as Mahanta (2012). We present two affixes in Kazakh that contain idiosyncratic vowels, and present evidence from wordlist elicitations and phonetic studies with two native speakers from different regions. We discuss the implications of these findings for constraint-based theories of vowel harmony: we show that they cannot be readily analyzed in conventional strictly-local harmony system, and present analyses in two recent systems that allow for non-local representations. Both Rhodes's (2010) system for vowel harmony in Agreement by Correspondence and Kimper's (2011) Trigger Competition can be made to accommodate lexical specifications that force vowels in particular morphemes to act as transparent, and we show that implementing these lexical specifications in Trigger Competition forces us to make somewhat stronger predictions about the rarity of idiosyncratic transparency.  
Doubly Triggered Harmony in Laal as Subphonemic Agreement by Correspondence
Authors: Lionnet Florian
Published: June 2015

Multiple-trigger assimilations pose notoriously difficult problems to standard autosegmental analyses (Flemming 1997). I present the unusual double-trigger rounding harmony of Laal (unclassified, Chad), where V1 in a disyllabic stem assimilates in rounding to a same-height round V2, iff the root contains a labial consonant. I show that Agreement-by-Correspondence, initially developed for consonant agreement (Hansson 2001, Rose & Walker 2004), recently extended to vowel harmony (Rhodes 2012), consonant-tone interaction (Shih 2013), and harmony processes involving contour segments and tones (Inkelas & Shih 2013), can account for multiple-trigger assimilations such as that of Laal, provided it can access subphonemic phonetic information.
Distinctive Features and the Liquids in Picard
Authors: Hendrickson Ryan
Published: June 2015

The class of liquid consonants, which traditionally groups laterals and rhotics, is called into question due to a lack of shared phonological feature with a phonetic correlate.  Following recent work on the liquid consonants, this paper examines these consonants in Picard, a Gallo-Romance variety spoken in Northern France and Southern Belgium.  The behavior of these consonants is analyzed both word-initially in liquid-glide clusters where we observe resyllabification, epenthesis, and sometimes deletion, as well as in word-final complex clusters.  We find that the lateral consonant is more prone to deletion next to coronal consonants in both positions, leading to the analysis that the lateral is phonologically specified as [coronal], whereas the rhotic, which is phonetically coronal in Picard, is unspecified for place in the phonology.
Modeling Morphological Subgeneralizations
Authors: Moore-Cantwell Claire , Staubs Robert
Published: June 2015

Exceptions to morphological regularities often pattern together phonologically. In the English past tense, exceptions to the regular ‘Add /-d/’ rule frequently inhabit ‘Islands of Reliability’ (Albright & Hayes, 2003), in which a group of words take the same irregular past and also pattern together on a set of phonological characteristics. Adults seem to have implicit knowledge of both the overall pattern (the regular past) and the ‘subgeneralizations’.

We model this knowledge of subgeneralizations through the interaction of a structured lexicon and a Maximum Entropy grammar. Words that pattern together with respect to a particular morphological process are grouped into a ‘bundle’, which is indexed to a constraint expressing the change that these words undergo to realize the morpheme. These ‘operational constraints’ compete with markedness and faithfulness in the phonological component. The phonological regularity of a bundle is represented by the average of constraint violations for members. Novel words are assigned a bundle on the basis of similarity to these averages.

Our model shows promising correspondence with human data, including biases toward regularity and Island of Reliability effects. The model’s joint learning approach to phonology and morphology, as well as an inclusive concept of `context’, show promise for future application.
In some Languages, /s/ is a Vowel
Authors: Goad Heather , Shimada Akiko
Published: June 2015

In clusters, /s/ fails to respect the phonotactic constraints of other obstruents; for example, /s/+stop, the optimal sC cluster, does not involve rising sonority. In research that adopts an articulated view of the syllable, the behaviour of /s/ has been captured through assigning it some special status, for example, as an appendix in sC clusters. No proposal along these lines contests the position that /s/ is an obstruent. However, what makes /s/ different from other obstruents is that, like a vowel, it has robust internal cues for place and manner, which ensures its perceptibility, even when adjacent to stops. This paper examines /s/ in Blackfoot (Algonquian), which goes well beyond the appendix-like behaviour this segment shows in other languages. We propose that this is because Blackfoot /s/ is a vowel: it can be underlyingly non-moraic (akin to a glide), monomoraic or bimoraic. Depending on its position in the string, moraic /s/ will surface as a syllable head and/or coda, sometimes with links to preceding or following onsets as well. None of this, we argue, has to be stipulated: combined with ordinary constraints on syllabification (place, sonority and hiatus), the segmental context in which /s/ occurs determines its realization.
The stability of word stress across Mixean languages
Authors: Jany Carmen
Published: June 2015

Word stress patterns have been widely discussed for individual languages and in typological work (Van der Hulst 2010), but there are very few comparative studies within language families and across dialects. This paper examines stress patterns in Mixean varieties and how they relate to the phonological distinctions among these varieties. The term ‘variety’ is applied here as in a number of cases it has yet to be determined whether a variety constitutes its own language or a dialect.

Word stress does not vary in Mixean languages, always falling on the rightmost heavy root syllable, but roots often represent the only heavy syllable(s) in a word. As a result, syllable weight plays only a minimal role in stress assignment. Rather, the stress system rests upon edge-orientation and morphological conditioning. If it relied to a greater extent on the phonological structure of words, some deviation would be expected, given that variation among Mixean languages is primarily phonologically based. This paper demonstrates how weight-sensitive stress patterns can remain stable across related languages even in light of major phonological differences.
Two scrambling strategies in German: Evidence from PPs
Authors: Kucerova Ivona
Published: June 2015

We argue that scrambling to the middle field in German does not form a syntactically homogeneous class. Instead, there are two distinct types of movement involved: (i) feature-triggered movement typically targeting the left periphery (Rizzi, 1997; Miyagawa, 1997, a.o.), i.e., movement which is determined within syntax proper; and (ii) semantically licensed, and competition based type of movement (Reinhart, 1995, 2006; Fox, 2000; Kucerová, 2007, 2012), determined at the syntax- semantics interface. The empirical evidence comes from scrambling of definite PPs in German. 
Presuppositions, probabilities and belief
Authors: Schueler David Edward , Reese Brian
Published: June 2015

The proviso problem concerns presuppositions of complex sentences that seem stronger than predicted by satisfaction-type thoeries of projection such as Heim's (1983). We propose a probabilistic account, similar to Lassiters's (2012) for coordinated and conditional sentences, for the case of embedded attitude reports. For example, in (1), the satisfaction theory predicts that only (1a) is presupposed, but (1b) is usually inferred as well.

(1) John believes that it stopped raining
a. John believes that it was raining.
b. It was raining.

Our account includes a standard semantics for belief, but employs a probabilistic information state parameter whose value is dynamically updated.
Pseudo noun incorporation is M-Merger: evidence from Balinese
Authors: Levin Theodore F
Published: June 2015

In this paper, I argue that adjacency alone can license a nominal by demonstrating that properties of Balinese PNI are incompatible with either (covert) Head Movement (Baker 2012) or with a bare NP analysis (Massam 2001). The Balinese data are compatible with a scenario in which the nominal head happens to be adjacent to the verb. In this configuration, head-head adjacency licenses the nominal via M(orphological)-Merger (Marantz 1984). Under the proposed analysis, Balinese PNI is a last resort strategy, which vacuously satisfies the Case Filter.
The Strict Locality of Phonological Processes
Authors: Chandlee Jane
Published: June 2015

This paper addresses the question of ‘what is a possible phonological process’ from a computational perspective. Many previous studies have offered explanations for why certain processes are attested and/or common while others are unattested or rare (see Hume & Johnson 2001, Hayes et al. 2004, Blevins 2004, among others). Following work on phonotactics by Heinz (2007, 2009, 2010), the goal of the present study is to demonstrate the extent to which computational properties can distinguish the subset of what is phonologically possible from the larger set of logically possible processes. Specifically, I identify a strong computational property of the mapping from underlying representation (UR) to surface representation (SR) in local phonological processes. This property is called Input Strict Locality (ISL) after the well-studied Strictly Local formal languages (McNaughton & Papert 1971, Rogers & Pullum 2011, Rogers et al. 2013). I demonstrate that this property has broad empirical coverage and describe its utility in phonological learning.
Split Number in Nungon
Authors: Sarvasy Hannah S
Published: June 2015

‘Mixed’ or ‘top and second’ number systems (Dixon 2012:52, Corbett 2000:120-121), in which different number systems occur in different parts of a language’s grammar, are not unusual in Papuan languages. The Animacy Hierarchy (Corbett 2000:56; Smith‑Stark 1974) dictates that if a grammar involves more than one number system, the system that includes more number distinctions should function higher on the hierarchy (Corbett 2000:121). Papuan languages of the Finisterre branch of the Finisterre-Huon language group (Madang and Morobe Provinces, Papua New Guinea) are unusual in that number system splits may be found, not only along the Animacy Hierarchy, but between different sets of pronouns, and even between different verbal tense markings. This paper describes the number system splits in the Finisterre Papuan language Nungon and gives historical explanations for the splits between pronoun sets and some of the splits between tenses.
The prosody of negative ‘yeah’
Authors: Freeman Valerie , Wright Richard , Levow Gina-Anne
Published: June 2015

Normally, yeah has positive polarity, but with a change in prosody, it can convey a negative stance (e.g., polite disagreement/rejection). This study examines acoustic-prosodic features of ‘negative yeahs’ in a stance-rich corpus of collaborative tasks. Four categories are identified based on degree of agreement/acceptance and distinguished by an interaction between pitch and intensity: while two groups have low, flat pitch, and two have high domed or dipping contours, this division is cross-cut by intensity, again low-flat vs. high domed. These patterns show that fine-grained stance analysis can reveal word-level acoustic patterns that are not apparent in coarser approaches.  
Word and syllable constraints in Indonesian adaptation: OT analysis
Authors: Batais Saleh , Wiltshire Caroline
Published: June 2015

Using original data of syllabic adaptations of borrowed words produced by 24 native speakers of Indonesian, we find both deletion and epenthesis to resolve word-final clusters, while word-initial clusters sometimes have epenthesis and sometimes are tolerated intact.  We show that the adaptations of Arabic and Dutch loanwords obey an Indonesian limit on complex codas, and furthermore reveal two subtle constraints: bisyllabic minimal word size and falling sonority across syllable boundaries. By showing that distinct adaptations are conditioned by the same markedness constraints, the OT analysis corroborates a view of borrowing as a phonological, rather than purely phonetic, process.
Adjective Agreement in Noon: Evidence for a Split Theory of Noun-Modifier Concord
Authors: Baier Nicholas
Published: June 2015

I have uploaded my abstract as a pdf.