Voice onset time of voiceless bilabial and velar stops in 3-year-old bilingual children and their age-matched monolingual peers

This study investigates aspects of voice onset time (VOT) of voiceless bilabial and velar stops in monolingual and bilingual children. VOT poses a special challenge for bilingual Spanish- and English-speaking children because although this VOT distinction exists in both languages, the values differ for the same contrast across Spanish and English. Twenty-four 3-year-olds participated in this study (8 bilingual Spanish–English, 8 monolingual Spanish and 8 monolingual English). The VOT productions of /p/ and /k/ in syllable-initial stressed singleton position were compared across participants. Non-parametric statistical analyses were performed to examine differences (1) between monolinguals and bilinguals and (2) between English and Spanish. The main findings of the study were that monolingual and bilingual children generally differed on VOT in English, but not in Spanish. No statistically significant differences were found between the Spanish and the English VOT of the bilingual children, but the VOT values did differ significantly for monolingual Spanish- versus monolingual English-speaking participants. Our findings were interpreted in terms of Flege’s Speech Learning Model, finding possible evidence for equivalence classification.     

Evidence for a minimal competence core of consonant sounds in the speech of African American children: A preliminary study

Most studies have stressed those aspects of African American English (AAE) that differ from Standard English (SE) varieties. Therefore word‐ final consonant performance has been investigated most often. In contrast, this intensive study aimed to reveal whether a common core of initial consonants is used by typically developing AAE children at or close to the 3^rd birthday. More than 2000 phonetically transcribed utterances were extracted from the audiovisual archives of natural samples of speech for seven children. All seven children met the productivity criterion for a shared core of 15 sounds in their repertoire of correctly produced word‐initial consonants. The children also met the criterion for using word‐initial consonant clusters or blends that commonly included the stop+sonorant type. The results provided preliminary evidence for a minimal competence core of word‐initial consonants that is consistent with developmental data on typically developing speakers of SE and other languages besides English. Sample sizes of more than 50 spontaneous utterances were required to elicit these core features. Research and clinical implications of these results are discussed.     

PentaD、PentaE基因座基因频率在军人主、被动攻击行为群体分布的比较

目的通过比较PentaD、PentaE基因座等位基因及基因型频率在军人主、被动攻击行为群体中的分布,来推测与主、被动攻击行为发生相关的遗传因素。方法采用PCR结合毛细管电泳的方法对华东地区273例男性军人主动攻击行为者与163例男性军人被动攻击行为者进行PentaD、PentaE基因座的基因型分析,观察两组在PentaD、PentaE基因座的等位基因及基因型分布差异。结果PentaD、PentaE基因座均符合Hardy-Weinberg平衡;PentaE基因座基因型频率在主、被动军人攻击行为群体分布差异有统计学意义（P〈0．01）;单因素分析显示两组在PentaE基因座的基因型16-18的频率分布差异有统计学意义（P=0．0001）;PentaE基因座等位基因频率及PentaD基因座等位基因频率和基因型频率在两个群体中分布差异均无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。结论PentaE基因座可能与攻击行为的发生有关;在人攻击行为群体中PentaE基因座的基因型16-18为被动攻击行为的易感因素。     

高频超声在军事训练伤诊疗中的应用进展

军事训练伤（military training injury,MTI）是军队官兵由于军事训练而造成的训练损伤,是现阶段全球部队官兵常见的训练损伤类型。军事训练伤严重影响训练效率、职业健康和整体军事准备状态,是长期困扰部队官兵健康的难题。近年来,高频超声飞速发展,对肌骨疾病的诊断优势日益凸显。高频超声越来越多的应用于军事训练伤的诊断和治疗。本文就高频超声在军事训练伤诊疗中的应用进展作综述,为我军官兵训练伤防治提供借鉴。     

中英文测试材料对正常青年人可接受噪声级影响的研究

目的：用难易程度不同的中文测试材料和英文测试材料进行可接受噪声级（acceptable noise level , ANL）测试,探讨不同测试材料对ANL测试的影响,为汉语普通话测试材料的研发提供参考。方法编制出汉语普通话白话文、文言文和英文三种测试材料,对54例听力正常青年人进行 A N L 测试,分别获得最舒适响度级（most comfortable loudness ,MCL）和最大背景噪声级（background noise level ,BNL）,根据ANL＝ MCL －BNL计算出ANL值,对汉语普通话白话文、文言文和英文三种测试材料测得的ANL值,ANL相关性,MCL、BNL与ANL的相关性及英语理解和表达能力与英文ANL的相关性分别进行统计学分析。结果汉语普通话白话文、文言文和英文三种测试材料测得的A N L值分别为2．61±3．65、1．85±3．69、0．31±3．71 dB ,白话文与文言文、白话文与英文、文言文与英文的ANL均存在统计学差异（均为 P＜0．05）;但三者间 ANL值的差值仅为0．76、2．3和1．54 dB ,均＜3 dB ,无临床意义。白话文与文言文、白话文与英文和文言文与英文测试材料测得的A N L值均呈现明显的相关趋势,r值分别为0．83、0．81和0．86（P＜0．05）。三种测试材料测得的MCL与ANL均无相关关系,r值分别为－0．11、－0．07和－0．08（均为 P＞0．05）,BNL 和 ANL均存在负相关关系,r值分别为－0．61、－0．54和－0．56（均为 P＜0．05）。英语理解能力、英语表达能力与英文A N L值均无相关关系,r值分别为0．04和－0．03（均为 P＞0．05）。结论汉语测试材料的难易程度对ANL值无影响;中文和英文测试材料对ANL值也无影响;受试者对英文的熟悉程度与ANL值无相关性;受试者接受背景噪声的能力越强,其ANL值越小;编制标准的汉语普通话ANL测试材料时需谨慎考虑测试材料的难易程度。     

某军队医院2011~2015年临床科室运行效率评价

目的 应用数据包络分析（DEA）评价2011~2015年某军队医院临床科室运行效率。方法 基于DEA的CCR模型和BCC模型对某军队医院临床科室运行效率进行测算。结果 临床科室平均综合技术效率值为0.83,各年度无明显变化,内科系统平均综合技术效率值0.81,低于外科系统的0.87;平均纯技术效率值0.72,有下降趋势,外科系统平均纯技术效率值0.74,高于内科系统的0.68;平均规模效率值0.87,无明显变化,外科系统平均规模效率值0.93,明显高于内科系统的0.77;规模收益状态呈递增趋势科室居多,仅有1个科室规模收益状态呈递减。结论 部分临床科室运行效率仍有上升空间,新形势下军队医院需积极调整跟进。     

Promoting normal birth and reducing caesarean section rates: An evaluation of the Rapid Improvement Programme

This paper evaluates the impact of the 2008 Rapid Improvement Programme that aimed at promoting normal birth and reducing caesarean section rates in the English National Health Service. Using Hospital Episode Statistics maternity records for the period 2001–2013, a panel data analysis was performed to determine whether the implementation of the programme reduced caesarean sections rates in participating hospitals. The results obtained using either the unadjusted sample of hospitals or a trimmed sample determined by a propensity score matching approach indicate that the impact of the programme was small. More specifically there were 2.3 to 3.4 fewer caesarean deliveries in participating hospitals, on average, during the postprogramme period offering a limited scope for cost reduction. This result mainly comes from the reduction in the number of emergency caesareans as no significant effect was uncovered for planned caesarean deliveries.