The acquisition of Sign Language: The impact of phonetic complexity on phonology

Research into the effect of phonetic complexity on phonological acquisition has a long history in spoken languages. This paper considers the effect of phonetics on phonological development in a signed language. We report on an experiment in which nonword-repetition methodology was adapted so as to examine in a systematic way how phonetic complexity in two phonological parameters of signed languages — handshape and movement — affects the perception and articulation of signs. Ninety-one Deaf children aged 3–11 acquiring British Sign Language (BSL) and 46 hearing nonsigners aged 6–11 repeated a set of 40 nonsense signs. For Deaf children, repetition accuracy improved with age, correlated with wider BSL abilities, and was lowest for signs that were phonetically complex. Repetition accuracy was correlated with fine motor skills for the youngest children. Despite their lower repetition accuracy, the hearing group were similarly affected by phonetic complexity, suggesting that common visual and motoric factors are at play when processing linguistic information in the visuo-gestural modality

Beyond deficit-based models of learners' cognition: Interpreting engineering students' difficulties with sense-making in terms of fine-grained epistemological and conceptual dynamics

Researchers have argued against deficit-based explanations of students' troubles with mathematical sense-making, pointing instead to factors such as epistemology: students' beliefs about knowledge and learning can hinder them from activating and integrating productive knowledge they have. In this case study of an engineering major solving problems (about content from his introductory physics course) during a clinical interview, we show that "Jim" has all the mathematical and conceptual knowledge he would need to solve a hydrostatic pressure problem that we posed to him. But he reaches and sticks with an incorrect answer that violates common sense. We argue that his lack of mathematical sense-making-specifically, translating and reconciling between mathematical and everyday/common-sense reasoning-stems in part from his epistemological views, i.e., his views about the nature of knowledge and learning. He regards mathematical equations as much more trustworthy than everyday reasoning, and he does not view mathematical equations as expressing meaning that tractably connects to common sense. For these reasons, he does not view reconciling between common sense and mathematical formalism as either necessary or plausible to accomplish. We, however, avoid a potential "deficit trap"-substituting an epistemological deficit for a concepts/skills deficit-by incorporating multiple, context-dependent epistemological stances into Jim's cognitive dynamics. We argue that Jim's epistemological stance contains productive seeds that instructors could build upon to support Jim's mathematical sense-making: He does see common-sense as connected to formalism (though not always tractably so) and in some circumstances this connection is both salient and valued.Comment: Submitted to the Journal of Engineering Educatio

Metallurgical and Corrosion Assessment of Submerged Tanker S.S. \u3ci\u3eMontebello\u3c/i\u3e

The Union Oil Tanker S.S. Montebello was torpedoed and sunk six miles (9.7 km) off the coast of Cambria, California by a Japanese submarine on December 23, 1941, two weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor. With close proximity to the National Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary, concern about possible crude oil contamination led to the most recent expedition to the site in October 2011. Assessment of the shell plate found that the average corrosion rate was very low and the structure will remain stable for many decades

A dramatic isotope effect in the reaction of ClSiH with trimethylsilane-1-d: experimental evidence for intermediate complexes in silylene Si-H(D) insertion reactions

A kinetic isotope effect (kD/kH) of 7.4 has been found for the reaction of chlorosilylene with trimethysilane (Me3SiD vs Me3SiH). Such a value can be accounted for by theoretical modelling, but only if an internal rearrangement of the initially form complex is included in the mechanism. This provides the first concrete evidence for such complexes

A Retrospective Study of Healthcare Needs of Unpaid Caregivers in the United States

Introduction: Demand for caregivers is on the rise. In the US, 53 million individuals provided care in 2020. Older adults constitute nearly half of all care recipients and often receive care from a family member. This study identified the health care needs of caregivers regarding health care use, access to resources, and unmet needs. Methods: We used a retrospective, cross-sectional design to examine existing data collected between 2013 and 2018 regarding caregiver experiences. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test of independence. Results: Caregivers were primarily female, White, between the 18 and 64 years of age, and often provided care to family members experiencing physical or mental conditions impacting safety and independence. Additional data were categorized and reported on the state of care, caregiver perceptions, and impact on the dyad. Conclusion: This study provides important insights into caregiver experiences. Occupational therapists can use this information to reach a broader demographic of caregivers currently not well represented in the caregiver data

Effect of Alga Bio 1.0 on Reducing Enteric Methane Emission from Cattle

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of Alga Bio 1.0 inclusion on methane and carbon dioxide emissions along with diet digestibility. Three treatments were evaluated with 0, 69, and 103 grams per day Alga Bio 1.0 fed as a top dress in a corn-based diet. Indirect calorimetry headboxes were utilized to evaluate gas production with 12 cows in 4 replicated 3x3 Latin squares. There was a 39% reduction in methane per lb of dry matter intake for cattle fed 69 g of Alga Bio 1.0 and 63% reduction when cattle were fed 103 g of Alga Bio 1.0 daily compared to the control treatment. Both dry matter intake and organic matter intake were reduced by 13% with Alga Bio 1.0 inclusion, but the treatments did not affect the digestibility of dry matter or organic matter. Gross and digestible energy were not affected by Alga Bio 1.0 inclusion. Although this strain of algae is not FDA approved for feeding to cattle, the research shows great potential of Alga Bio 1.0 as a methane mitigation strategy

Corrosion of Steel Shipwreck in the Marine Environment: USS \u3ci\u3eArizona\u3c/i\u3e—Part 1

The USS Arizona has remained submerged in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, since the Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. The ship presents a potential hazard from fuel oil still present in the ship’s hull. As an important factor in management decisions, the effect of corrosion after nearly 65 years is being studied to determine the integrity of the ship’s structure. Coupon samples from the hull revealed decreasing corrosion rates from ~1 to 3 mpy (0.03 to 0.08 mm/y) from just below the water surface to the mudline. This is about one-third of that expected in the absence of biofouling or concretion. Methods of determining the corrosion rate, including correlation of chemistry and properties, are discussed

In Situ Corrosion Studies on the Battleship USS Arizona

U.S. National Park Service Submerged Resources Center archaeologists and University of Nebraska-Lincoln metallurgists are assessing hull corrosion by drilling through accumulated concretions and measuring pH and corrosion potentials. Concretion samples are being analyzed to determine the role of microbes in the corrosion process, identify chemical species, and measure electrical and physical properties. The lowest values of pH and E corr occur at the metal/concretion interface. Analysis suggests a variable corrosion rate supported by hydrogen discharge and/or oxygen reduction inside the concretion

Clustering Attitudes and Behaviors of High/Low Involvement Grocery Shopper

The purpose of this exploratory and quantitative study was to examine the attitudes and behaviors of 14,807 grocery shop- pers. These respondents across the US were asked to answer attitudinal, behavioral, and demographic related questions. Shoppers were profiled by analyzing their responses to 16 relevant attitudinal and behavioral questions. A cluster analysis was performed followed by a discriminant analysis to deter- mine attitudinal and behavioral variables explaining cluster membership. A cross-tabulation analysis assessed demo- graphic variables that correlated with cluster membership. Two clusters were identified: high and low involvement grocery shoppers. In an event that has long been perceived as low involvement, a large percentage (53%) can be categorized as high involvement grocery shoppers. These shoppers tend to be younger. They were more likely to enjoy the hunt of finding products/deals, seek the advice of others and perceive that the products they buy reflect upon them. Grocery stores have a significant opportunity to target this high involvement shop- per. Grocery stores will need to create an integrative, engaging online and in-store experience to attract high involvement shoppers and ultimately increase store loyalty. The results of this research has significant communication, branding and digital marketing implications