Effects of phonetic/phonics instruction on reading pronunciation (French level I)

Pronunciation training has been traditionally viewed as of limited importance in a communicatively oriented foreign language curriculum (Pennington & Richards, 1986). Many language instructors seemingly deny the usefulness of phonetic training and rely on a listen-and-repeat method with the use of audiotapes (Bate, 1989; Callamand & Pedoya, 1984; Jones, 1997). Beginners in French classes face the challenge of mastering a complex sound and grapheme-phoneme correspondence system without the benefit of specific instruction. Their pronunciation errors develop mostly from bad habits while decoding from print to sound (Dansereau, 1995). ^ The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of basic phonetic/phonics instruction on reading pronunciation accuracy in a French I language course. ^ The sample consisted of two groups of French I students from Florida International University, who received the same instruction in French language and culture during the fall semester of 1999. Only the experimental group received additional phonetic/phonics training. ^ The instrument consisted of three recorded reading tasks: isolated familiar words, isolated unfamiliar words, and dialogue. Research questions were analyzed using a one-way multivariate analysis of variance. Significant differences were found between the two groups on scores for each of the three sections of the instrument, and on the total scores. These findings support the hypothesis of the study and reveal the effectiveness of phonetic/phonics training for beginners of French. ^ The findings imply that beginning language students should receive the minimum knowledge they need to master the French phoneme-grapheme (sound-spelling) system. ^

Black churchgoers, environmental activism, and the preservation of nature in Miami, Florida

The goal of this project was to explore activism, attitudes, and imagery connecting Black churchgoers in Miami, Florida and the natural environment. The research approach was qualitative, began as exploratory research, and used the techniques of snowball sampling, participant observation, and semi-structured interviews. Three case studies representing various socio-economic levels, denominations, participant education levels, and environmental facets were chosen for in-depth ethnographic research. There are three major findings in the research. First, there is a link between the preservation of Black history and the preservation of the environment among Black churchgoers, who feel strong connections to a sense of place, rural life, and the past. However their work is strongly directed to bring about benefits for people and the environment in the present and the future. Second, public access to public lands is a basic and important right espoused by these Black churchgoing activists. Third, the vocabulary used by Black churchgoing activists regarding the natural environment differs from today's “mainstream” environmentalists. The concept of “beauty” is pivotal to Black appreciation of and activism toward the environment and is reminiscent of the early environmental protection movement in the United States and conservationists such as John Muir. These findings concerning how Black spirituality relates to the environment adds to the sparse literature on the subject, and provides for potential linkages between Blacks and “mainstream” environmental groups to benefit both parties. An understanding of the connections between Black spirituality and perceptions of the environment should facilitate the development of better programs to improve and protect the environment. Environmental projects may also address the social and economic needs of Black communities, churches, and congregations, as well as the ecosystem. ^

High pressure studies on group VI metal hexacarbonyl molecular solids

Group VI metal hexacarbonyls, M(CO)6 (M = Cr, Mo and W), are of extreme importance as catalysts in industry and also of fundamental interest due to the established charge transfer mechanism between the carbon monoxide and the metal. They condense to molecular solids at ambient conditions retaining the octahedral (Oh) symmetry of gas phase and have been extensively investigated by previous workers to understand their fundamental chemical bonding and possible industrial applications. However little is known about their behavior at high pressures which is the focus of this dissertation. Metal hexacarbonyls were subjected to high pressures in Diamond-Anvil cells to understand the pressure effect on chemical bonding using Raman scattering in situ. The high-pressure results on each of the three metal hexacarbonyls are presented and are followed by a critical analysis of the entire family. The Raman study was conducted at pressures up to 45 GPa and X-ray up to 58 GPa. This is followed by a discussion on infra red spectra in conjunction with Raman and X-ray analysis to provide a rationale for polymerization. Finally the probable synthesis of extremely reactive species under high-pressures and as identified via Raman is discussed. The high-pressure Raman scattering, up to 30 GPa, demonstrated the absence of Π-backbonding. The disappearance of parental Raman spectra for (M = Cr, Mo and W) at 29.6, 23.3 and 22.2 GPa respectively was attributed to the total collapse of the Oh symmetry. This collapse under high-pressure lead to metal-mediated polymeric phase characterized by Raman active δ(OCO) feature, originating from intermolecular vibrational coupling in the parent sample. Further increase in pressures up to 45 GPa, did not affect this feature. The pressure quenched Raman spectra, revealed various chemical groups non-characteristic of the parent sample and adsorption of CO in addition to the characteristic δ(OCO) feature. The thus recorded Raman, complemented with the far and mid-infrared pressure quenched spectra, reveal the formation of novel metal-mediated polymers. The X-ray diffraction on W(CO)6 up to 58 GPa revealed the generation of amorphous polymeric pattern which was retained back to ambient conditions.

Phylloquinone (Vitamin K₁) Intake and Pulse Pressure as a Measure of Arterial Stiffness in Older Adults

This study examined the relationships among ethnicity/race, lifestyle factors, phylloquinone (vitamin K₁) intake, and arterial pulse pressure in a nationally representative sample of older adults from four ethnic/racial groups: non-Hispanic Whites, non-Hispanic Blacks, Mexican Americans, and other Hispanics. This was a cross-sectional study of U.S. representative sample with data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 of adults aged 50 years and older (N = 5296). Vitamin K intake was determined by 24-hour recall. Pulse pressure was calculated as the difference between the averages of systolic blood pressure and diastolic blood pressure. Compared to White non-Hispanics, the other ethnic/racial groups were more likely to have inadequate vitamin K₁ intake. Inadequate vitamin K₁ intake was an independent predictor of high arterial pulse pressure. This was the first study that compared vitamin K₁ inadequacy with arterial pulse pressure across ethnicities/races in U.S. older adults. These findings suggest that vitamin K screening may be a beneficial marker for the health of older adults.