Order Distances and Split Systems

Given a pairwise distance D on the elements in a finite set X, the order distanceΔ(D) on X is defined by first associating a total preorder ≼x on X to each x ∈X based on D, and then quantifying the pairwise disagreement between these total preorders. The order distance can be useful in relational analyses because using Δ(D) instead of D may make such analyses less sensitive to small variations in D. Relatively little is known about properties of Δ(D) for general distances D. Indeed, nearly all previous work has focused on understanding the order distance of a treelike distance, that is, a distance that arises as the shortest path distances in a tree with non-negative edge weights and X mapped into its vertex set. In this paper we study the order distance Δ(D) for distances D that can be decomposed into sums of simpler distances called split-distances. Such distances D generalize treelike distances, and have applications in areas such as classification theory and phylogenetics.

Word Prosody in Lung’Ie: One System or Two?

Creole languages have generally not figured prominently in cross-linguistic studies of word-prosodic typology. In this paper, we present a phonological analysis of the prosodic system of Lung’Ie or Principense (ISO 639-3 code: pre), a Portuguese-lexifier creole language spoken in São Tomé and Príncipe. Lung’Ie has produced a unique result of the contact between the two different prosodic systems common in creolization: a stress-accent lexifier and tone language substrates. The language has a restrictive privative H/Ø tone system, in which the /H/ is culminative, but non-obligatory. Since rising and falling tones are contrastive on long vowels, the tone must be marked underlyingly. While it is clear that tonal indications are needed, Lung’Ie reveals two properties more expected of an accentual system: (i) there can only be one heavy syllable per word; (ii) this syllable must bear a H tone. This raises the question of whether syllables with a culminative H also have metrical prominence, i.e. stress. However, the problem with equating stress with H tone is that Lung’Ie has two kinds of nouns: those with a culminative H and those which are toneless. The nouns with culminative H are 87% of Portuguese origin, incorporated through stress-to-tone alignment, while the toneless ones are 92% of African origin. Although other creole languages have been reported with split systems of “accented” vs. fully specified tonal lexemes, and others with mixed systems of tone and stress, Lung’Ie differs from these cases in treating African origin words as toneless, a quite surprising result. We consider different analyses and conclude that Lung’Ie has a privative /H/ tone system with the single unusual stress-like property of weight-to-tone.

Word Prosody in Lung’Ie: One System or Two?

Creole languages have generally not figured prominently in cross-linguistic studies of word-prosodic typology. In this paper, we present a phonological analysis of the prosodic system of Lung’Ie or Principense (ISO 639-3 code: pre), a Portuguese-based creole language spoken in São Tomé and Príncipe. Lung’Ie has produced a unique result of the contact between the two different prosodic systems common in creolization: a stress-accent lexifier and tone language substrates. The language has a restrictive privative H/Ø tone system, in which the /H/ is culminative, but non-obligatory. Since rising and falling tones are contrastive on long vowels, the tone must be marked underlyingly. While it is clear that tonal indications are needed, Lung’Ie reveals two properties more expected of an accentual system: (i) there can only be one heavy syllable per word; (ii) this syllable must bear a H tone. This raises the question of whether syllables with a culminative H also have metrical prominence, i.e. stress. However, the problem with equating stress with H tone is that Lung’Ie has two kinds of nouns: those with a culminative H and those which are toneless. The nouns with culminative H are 87% of Portuguese origin, incorporated through stress-to-tone alignment, while the toneless ones are 92% of African origin. Although other creole languages have been reported with split systems of “accented” vs. fully specified tonal lexemes, and others with mixed systems of tone and stress, Lung’Ie differs from these cases in treating African origin words as toneless, a quite surprising result. We consider different analyses and conclude that Lung’Ie has a privative /H/ tone system with the single unusual stress-like property of weight-to-tone.

MODEL MULTI-SPLIT SYSTEMS WITH NANOTECHNOLOGIES FOR SUPPRESSING FIRES AND PREVENTING EXPLOSIONS FROM GAS IN THE RESIDENTIAL SECTOR

The article, based on a statistical analysis of fires in the residential sector in southern Russia, presents the results of long-term studies of the "intellectualization" of household electrical appliances (televisions, refrigerators, electricity meters, etc.), which can reduce the number of fires and the consequences of them. It is shown that split systems that “pump through” the air of the rooms where they are installed, as the most “fast” aspiration fire alarm systems do, are the most “suitable” electrical appliances, the intellectualization of which will allow not only early detection of dangerous fire factors and explosion from leakage of domestic gas, but suppress ignition and prevent an explosion if instead of a fan of the indoor unit, a thermomagnetic air separator is installed, which releases oxygen from the air and leads it out through the drainage pipe, and returns the remaining inert atmospheric gases to the room. A model of such a multi-split system was investigated and the modernization of the proposed method with the help of a "magnetic refrigerator" was developed, which will not only double the efficiency of creating comfortable living conditions and reduce energy consumption, but also eliminate fire hazardous external blocks that "spoil the facades" of multi-storey residential buildings

(æ)fter the storm: An Examination of the short-a system in Greater New Orleans

This study examines the short-a system in Greater New Orleans (GNO) following the demographic changes and large-scale displacement that occurred after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. I provide a linguistic description of the short-a systems of 57 residents of the GNO suburb of Chalmette, half of whom relocated after the storm, and half of whom returned to their pre-Katrina homes. While many speakers demonstrate robust split systems, analysis demonstrates a shift over time toward the nasal system common throughout much of the US. Whether participants returned or relocated was not a significant predictor of short-a system; however, speakers most oriented to places outside of Chalmette may have led the change in progress, pointing to the importance of considering place orientation in contexts of speaker mobility. This study establishes that adoption of the nasal system is well underway in GNO, generating further questions about what New Orleans English will sound like as post-Katrina changes continue to develop.