This study is intended to describe and analyze the durational patterns of native Japanese speakers learning English, with a focus on two major prosodic effects: phrase-final lengthening and stresstimed shortening. To investigate the relative contribution of these effects, a production experiment was conducted, adapting the methodological framework of Beckman and Edwards (1990). The effects of t...

Three main mechanisms contribute to global right ventricular (RV) function: longitudinal shortening, radial displacement of the RV free wall (bellows effect), and anteroposterior shortening (as a consequence left contraction). Since importance these may vary in different cardiac conditions, technology being able assess their relative influence on pump function could help clarify pathophysiology...

Background: Malunion distal radius involving shortening of the may result in disruption radioulnar joint, chronic pain, loss both supination and pronation, cosmetic deformity. Shortening often accompanies dorsal angulation, a relatively positive ulna variance is produced. With malunion caused by extra-articular fractures, pain develop joint secondary to abnormal stresses resulting from radial o...

Left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, most commonly assessed with two-dimensional echocardiography, is an important prognostic determinant of many cardiovascular diseases. The decision of implanting specific cardiovascular devices, such as cardiac resynchronization therapy or implantable cardioverter defibrillator, recommending valvular surgery or chemotherapy relies on the LV ejection fract...

BACKGROUND Despite the recent trend toward the internal fixation of distal radial fractures in older patients, the currently available literature lacks adequate randomized trials examining whether open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) with a volar locking plate is superior to nonoperative (cast) treatment. The purpose of the present randomized clinical trial was to compare the outcomes of...

The polysyllabic shortening hypothesis holds that the duration of a primary stressed syllable is inversely proportional to the number of additional syllables within the word. We examine the evidence for this process in British English speech by measuring the duration of primary stressed syllables in monosyllabic, disyllabic and trisyllabic words, both right-headed series – e.g. mend, commend, r...

This study examined how duration of an unstressed final syllable in English is affected by conditions in the following word: stress (trochaic/iambic), accent (accented/unaccented), and initial stop voicing (voiced/voiceless). Results showed that the unstressed final syllable was shorter before an unstressed syllable, presumably due to polysyllabic shortening—i.e., the following unstressed sylla...