Phono-genesis and the Origin of Accusative Syntax in Proto-Australian Language

It is claimed that a set of 62 known (Illert, 2003) ancient Aboriginal words constitute a representative sample of the original proto-Australian lexicon whose maximum likelihood (Fisher, 1912) 'power law signature' is determined and shown to precisely fit genetically related 'modern' lexicons from south-eastern-Australia. This measure of 'sameness' builds the confidence required to justify inter-lexicon diachronic word- frequency comparisons which provide a powerful new statistical tool capable of revealing important features of ancestral grammar. This paper supplies the first ever published modern translations of authentic traditional language documented in obscure literary and archival sources which have, until recently, been lost (Dawes, 1790b; Wood, 1924; Troy, 1992) or overlooked (Everitt et al., 1900; Illert, 2001) for centuries. These newly found examples of accusative syntax supported by word- frequency data may come as quite a surprise to some linguists (Dixon, 1980; Osmond, 1989; Troy, 1992; Nichols, 1993) who, in the absence of adequate evidence, seem to have long-imagined that language from this region—if not the entire continent— simply had to be inherently and at the core ergative. On the contrary we find that changing word-frequencies, from proto-Australian to modern times, supply overwhelming evidence of the emergence of ancient accusative prefixes which have even survived into recent centuries in the Sydney region. Additionally it is found that, over millennia, words die-off in a lexicon, replaced by others, according to the famous "mortality law' of Gompertz (1825) which also describes the likelihood of death of biological organisms within populations and is the basis for modern actuarial science (Bowers et al., 1997). Just as disease and epidemics can wipe out entire cohorts of creatures from a population, so too can syntactic change annihilate word-classes in an evolving lexicon.     

MML Markov classification of sequential data

General purpose un-supervised classification programs have typically assumed independence between observations in the data they analyse. In this paper we report on an extension to the MML classifier Snob which enables the program to take advantage of some of the extra information implicit in ordered datasets (such as time-series). Specifically the data is modelled as if it were generated from a first order Markov process with as many states as there are classes of observation. The state of such a process at any point in the sequence determines the class from which the corresponding observation is generated. Such a model is commonly referred to as a Hidden Markov Model. The MML calculation for the expected length of a near optimal two-part message stating a specific model of this type and a dataset given this model is presented. Such an estimate enables us to fairly compare models which differ in the number of classes they specify which in turn can guide a robust un-supervised search of the model space. The new program, tSnob, is tested against both synthetic data and a large real world dataset and is found to make unbiased estimates of model parameters and to conduct an effective search of the extended model space.     

Gender and Compulsory Sterilization Programs in America: 1907–1950

Current scholarship on compulsory sterilization and gender focuses almost exclusively on women as the targets of these programs. As Philip Reilly (1991:98) indicates, however, there occurred a "dramatic change" in the gender of those targeted for compulsory sterilizations in America. Prior to 1928 men were more likely to be sterilized, but, after 1928, women became far more likely to be sterilized. I use this shift as a focal point in examining the changing role of gender. First, I show the ways in which rationales for sterilization differed by gender. Then, turning to analyze the shift, I argue that the medical and legal professions criticized the rationales for male sterilization, yet these professions and others tended to be more supportive of female sterilization, imagining sterilization to have many advantages for society and women. Superintendents, simultaneously responding to external pressure and shaping sterilization to meet their own interests, transformed sterilization into a program which focused largely upon women.     

The moderating effect of political skill on the demographic dissimilarity — Leader–member exchange quality relationship

LMX theorists have long argued that similarity between supervisors and subordinates will lead to the development of higher quality leader–member exchange (LMX) relationships. However, studies that have examined the impact of similarity on these relationships have found mixed results, suggesting the need for examining moderators. The purpose of the present study was to examine the impact of subordinates' political skill on the relationship between supervisor–subordinate racial similarity/dissimilarity (RSD) and the quality of LMX relationships. The sample consisted of 189 participants in a retail service organization. The results indicate that political skill is a significant moderator, and plays a substantial role in LMX relationship quality for racially dissimilar supervisor–subordinate dyads. The strengths and limitations of the study, and directions for future research are discussed.     

A new direction for regional university campuses: catalyzing innovation in place

Ideas about the importance of knowledge and innovation in the global economy have implications for the changing role of universities – but so too do ideas about the role of place-based knowledge in generating competitive advantage and innovation at the regional scale. As the concern to structure effective innovation systems intersects with the growing interest in distinctive, place-based knowledge, an opportunity emerges to reconsider the role of universities in regions. As institutions specialized in knowledge creation and knowledge transfer, regional university campuses are in a key position to catalyze regional development outcomes by bringing together different forms of knowledge, including place-based knowledge, in new ways. In line with current thinking about open and user-generated innovation, it is arguable that this kind of approach to co-creating knowledge in place can catalyze regional development outcomes. Yet for university campuses to take on this catalyst role, they must move beyond the limitations of their current “engagement” approaches. This paper explores some of the limitations and conflicts in current regional engagement approaches, then considers how the meeting-point between universities and complex regions may be operationalized in practice.     

Oslo +20: Reassessing the role of confidence building measures

Confidence building measures (CBMs) have long been employed as a tool for both conflict reduction and resolution. What started as a Cold War phenomena, CBMs have routinely been employed to deal with a myriad of conflicts in a variety of locations. In the Middle East, CBMs have been integral parts of both formal treaties and disarmament agreements between Israel and the Arab states. The 20th anniversary of the Oslo Accords provides a good opportunity to reassess the role of CBMs in the Oslo process. During the initial stages of negotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians, much emphasis was placed on the role and importance of CBMs. These CBMs were unsuccessful, however, because there was neither a strong foundation for negotiations, nor a real commitment on the part of the leaderships of both parties to implement and support the measures.