bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis and System: A Marriage
Authors: Quadrio Carolyn
Published: November 2008

Self-psychology describes a psychoanalytic model developed by Heinz Kohut and based upon a systemic concept of the ‘self-object’, a system of self and object which differentiates progressively from an early symbiotic fusion at birth to healthy interdependence at around three years of age. These stages of differentiation were originally described by Margaret Mahler and interpreted by her within a Kleinian framework. Self-psychology differs in many key concepts from the Kleinian and other psychoanalytic models, and Kohut reinterpreted Mahler's work from this new perspective. The systemic or dyadic basis of Kohutian theory provides a bridge between psychoanalytic models and systems models of marital dynamics, an important meeting ground for interpsychic and intrapsychic viewpoints. Progressive differentiation within a dyadic system can be applied developmentally to the mother-infant, husband-wife, or therapist-patient dyad, as can the self-object transference concept.
Some Sociocultural Aspects of Humour
Authors: Haig Robin
Published: November 2008

The social origins of laughter in homo sapiens, joking relationships and comic roles in both primitive and modern societies and reference group humour are all important to the psychiatrist in understanding the part played by humour in the social context presented by differing ethnic and social groups of patients. The use of humour by the medical profession, and particularly by the psychiatrist, is considered.
Combined acromegaly and subclinical Cushing disease related to high-molecular-weight adrenocorticotropic hormone
Authors: Oki Kenji , Yamane Kiminori , Oda Yoshiaki , Kamei Nozomu , Watanabe Hiroshi , Tominaga Atsushi , Amatya Vishwa Jeet , Oki Yutaka , Kohno Nobuoki
Published: November 2008

A 36-year-old man with a 1-year history of diabetes mellitus was referred to the authors' hospital for further endocrinological evaluation of acromegaly. On physical examination, typical acromegalic features but no typical cushingoid features were observed. The clinical diagnosis of growth hormone (GH)–producing pituitary adenoma was confirmed by MR imaging findings, nonsuppression of serum GH levels during a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (trough GH 6.33 ng/ml), and elevated serum insulin-like growth factor—I levels (1361.3 ng/ml). Moreover, autonomic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion was suspected, based on inadequate suppression of ACTH or cortisol levels by an 0.5-mg overnight dexamethasone suppression test. Analysis of the patient's plasma by using the gel filtration method revealed the presence of a high-molecular-weight (HMW) form of ACTH known to exhibit low biological activity. Transsphenoidal adenomectomy was performed for the pituitary tumor. Immunohistochemical investigation of the resected specimen showed strong and diffuse immunoreactivity to GH and focal immunoreactivity to ACTH. Although there have been a few cases of pituitary adenoma that produced GH and ACTH concomitantly, this is the first report of the detection of HMW ACTH in patients with GH- and ACTH-producing adenomas. Furthermore, the previous cases also did not exhibit typical cushingoid features. It is suggested that the secretion of ACTH in patients with concurrent GH- and ACTH-secreting adenomas might consist of the HMW form and that the HMW ACTH is consequently associated with a subclinical Cushing state.
Glycogen synthase kinase‐3β and tau genes interact in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Kwok John B. J. , Loy Clement T. , Hamilton Gillian , Lau Edmond , Hallupp Marianne , Williams Julie , Owen Michael J. , Broe G. Anthony , Tang Nelson , Lam Linda , Powell John F. , Lovestone Simon , Schofield Peter R.
Published: November 2008

Objective

We examined the epistatic effect between haplotypes of glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK3B) gene and microtubule‐associated protein Tau (MAPT) gene in Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Methods

A genetic association study of three AD cohorts was made. Linear regression analyses were used to examine effects of MAPT polymorphisms on gene expression and alternative splicing. β‐Catenin levels and signaling were determined using Western blot and luciferase reporter assays in cells transfected with a combination of GSK3B and MAPT complementary DNA.

Results

Consistent interaction between GSK3B and MAPT genes in three late‐onset AD cohorts was observed, with the GSK3B haplotype (T‐T) significantly increasing the risk for AD in individuals with at least one H2 haplotype (odds ratio, 1.68–2.33; p = 0.005–0.036). The GSK3B haplotype was significantly protective in the Chinese cohort (odds ratio, 0.33; p = 0.016), after adjusting for the effect of age and sex. There are significant differences in in vivo transcriptional efficiency between the two MAPT haplotypes (H1 and H2) as determined by measurement of cerebellar transcripts (p < 0.001). Overexpression of either MAPT or GSK3B resulted in decreased β‐catenin levels compared with a control vector (p < 0.001). Conversely, cotransfection of both of these molecules increased β‐catenin signaling.

Interpretation

Our genetic and biochemical analyses have identified a novel interaction between Tau and GSK‐3β in late‐onset AD causative factors. Our data are consistent with an epistatic model of interaction where discordant levels of GSK3B and MAPT gene expression can lead to altered β‐catenin levels and pathogenicity. Ann Neurol 2008
Claudin 1 overexpression increases invasion and is associated with aggressive histological features in oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: dos Reis Patricia Pintor , Bharadwaj Rikki R. , Machado Jerry , MacMillan Christina , Pintilie Melania , Sukhai Mahadeo A. , Perez‐Ordonez Bayardo , Gullane Patrick , Irish Jonathan , Kamel‐Reid Suzanne
Published: November 2008

BACKGROUND.

The authors have previously shown that overexpression of claudin 1 (CLDN1) is associated with advanced disease stage in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). Their goal was to examine CLDN1 expression in a large series of primary OSCCs and to further investigate whether CLDN1 overexpression plays a role in invasion in OSCC.

METHODS.

CLDN1 gene expression levels were determined by quantitative real‐time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (QRT‐PCR) in 100 primary OSCCs. CLDN1 protein expression was examined by immunohistochemistry in 70 of 100 OSCCs. E‐Cadherin protein levels were also assessed in 58 OSCCs. The authors performed a transwell Matrigel invasion assay for assessment of the invasive potential of CLDN1 overexpressing oral carcinoma cells. Western blotting and QRT‐PCR were used to assess CLDN1 expression in transfected cells and controls.

RESULTS.

CLDN1 mRNA was increased (median = 18.5) in 79 of 100 OSCCs, compared with normal oral mucosa (expression = 1.0). CLDN1 overexpression was associated with angiolymphatic (P = .037) and perineural invasion (P = .051). CLDN1 was highly expressed in 48 of 70 (68%) OSCCs. E‐Cadherin was lost or underexpressed in 49 of 58 (84%) OSCCs. The invasion assay showed that cells overexpressing CLDN1 have increased invasive potential, whereas small interfering RNA–mediated depletion of CLDN1 decreased the invasive potential of cells.

CONCLUSIONS.

CLDN1 overexpression is associated with angiolymphatic and perineural invasion, consistent with aggressive tumor behavior. Overexpression of CLDN1 protein is associated with increased invasiveness of oral carcinoma cells. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society.
Excessive CpG 1668 stimulation triggers IL‐10 production by cDC that inhibits IFN‐α responses by pDC
Authors: Waibler Zoe , Anzaghe Martina , Konur Abdo , Akira Shizuo , Müller Werner , Kalinke Ulrich
Published: November 2008

Upon stimulation with a wide range of concentrations of CpG oligodeoxynucleotide 2216 (CpG 2216), plasmacytoid DC are induced to produce type I IFN (IFN‐α/β). In contrast, CpG 1668 shows a bell‐shaped dose–response correlation, i.e. only intermediate but not high doses of CpG 1668 induce IFN‐α/β. Interestingly, high‐dose CpG 1668 completely inhibited IFN‐α responses induced by CpG 2216. Experiments using supernatant of high‐dose CpG‐1668‐treated cells indicated that secreted inhibitor(s) mediated the IFN‐α shut‐off. Among modulating cytokines, IL‐10 turned out to be one important negative regulator. In line with this, supernatants of IL‐10‐deficient DC cultures stimulated with high‐dose CpG 1668 did not inhibit IFN‐α production. Interestingly, high‐dose CpG 1668 also inhibited IFN‐α responses induced by the DNA‐encoded mouse cytomegalovirus, whereas IFN‐α responses induced by negative‐strand RNA‐encoded vesicular stomatitis virus were only marginally affected. Experiments with DC cultures devoid of TLR9 indicated that TLR9 was critically required to mediate stimulatory and modulatory signals by low and high concentrations of CpG 1668, respectively. Analysis of purified DC subsets showed that conventional DC were the main IL‐10 producers, whereas plasmacytoid DC hardly produced any IL‐10.
Fruit and vegetable consumption and pancreatic cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition
Authors: Vrieling Alina , Verhage Bas A.J. , van Duijnhoven Fränzel J.B. , Jenab Mazda , Overvad Kim , Tjønneland Anne , Olsen Anja , Clavel‐Chapelon Françoise , Boutron‐Ruault Marie‐Christine , Kaaks Rudolf , Rohrmann Sabine , Boeing Heiner , Nöthlings Ute , Trichopoulou Antonia , John Tountas , Dimosthenes Zilis , Palli Domenico , Sieri Sabina , Mattiello Amalia , Tumino Rosario , Vineis Paolo , van Gils Carla H. , Peeters Petra H.M. , Engeset Dagrun , Lund Eiliv , Rodríguez Suárez Laudina , Jakszyn Paula , Larrañaga Nerea , Sánchez María‐José , Chirlaque María‐Dolores , Ardanaz Eva , Manjer Jonas , Lindkvist Björn , Hallmans Göran , Ye Weimin , Bingham Sheila , Khaw Kay‐Tee , Roddam Andrew , Key Tim , Boffetta Paolo , Duell Eric J. , Michaud Dominique S. , Riboli Elio , Bueno‐de‐Mesquita H. Bas
Published: November 2008

Many case‐control studies have suggested that higher consumption of fruit and vegetables is associated with a lower risk of pancreatic cancer, whereas cohort studies do not support such an association. We examined the associations of the consumption of fruits and vegetables and their main subgroups with pancreatic cancer risk within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). EPIC is comprised of over 520,000 subjects recruited from 10 European countries. The present study included 555 exocrine pancreatic cancer cases after an average follow‐up of 8.9 years. Estimates of risk were obtained by Cox proportional hazard models, stratified by age at recruitment, gender, and study center, and adjusted for total energy intake, weight, height, history of diabetes mellitus, and smoking status. Total consumption of fruit and vegetables, combined or separately, as well as subgroups of vegetables and fruits were unrelated to risk of pancreatic cancer. Hazard ratios (95% CI) for the highest versus the lowest quartile were 0.92 (0.68–1.25) for total fruit and vegetables combined, 0.99 (0.73–1.33) for total vegetables, and 1.02 (0.77–1.36) for total fruits. Stratification by gender or smoking status, restriction to microscopically verified cases, and exclusion of the first 2 years of follow‐up did not materially change the results. These results from a large European prospective cohort suggest that higher consumption of fruit and vegetables is not associated with decreased risk of pancreatic cancer. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Econometrics of auctions by least squares
Authors: Rezende Leonardo
Published: November 2008

I investigate using the method of ordinary least squares (OLS) on auction data. I find that for parameterizations of the valuation distribution that are common in empirical practice, an adaptation of OLS provides unbiased estimators of structural parameters. Under symmetric independent private values, adapted OLS is a specialization of the method of moments strategy of Laffont, Ossard and Vuong (1995). In contrast to their estimator, here simulation is not required, leading to a computationally simpler procedure. The paper also discusses using estimation results for inference on the shape of the valuation distribution, and applicability outside the symmetric independent private values framework. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Does the loss of regularity really appear?
Authors: Lu Xiaojun , Reissig Michael
Published: November 2008

In the theory of weakly hyperbolic equations we have the effect of loss of regularity. The present paper devotes to the study of two problems. On the one hand we describe families of weakly hyperbolic Cauchy problems for which we have no loss of regularity. On the other hand we discuss the question if the loss of derivatives really appears. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Existence of solutions to a phase transition model with microscopic movements
Authors: Feireisl Eduard , Petzeltová Hana , Rocca Elisabetta
Published: November 2008

We prove the existence ofweak solutionsfor a 3D phase change model introduced by Michel Frémond in (Non‐smooth Thermomechanics. Springer: Berlin, 2002) showing, viaa prioriestimates, the weak sequential stability property in the sense already used by the first author in (Comput. Math. Appl.2007;53:461–490). The result follows by passing to the limit in an approximate problem obtained adding a superlinear part (in terms of the gradient of the temperature) in the heat flux law. We first prove well posedness for this last problem and then—using propera prioriestimates—we pass to the limit showing that the total energy is conserved during the evolution process and proving the non‐negativity of theentropy production ratein a suitable sense. Finally, these weak solutions turn out to be theclassicalsolution to the original Frémond's model provided all quantities in question are smooth enough. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chocolate at heart: The anti‐inflammatory impact of cocoa flavanols
Authors: Selmi Carlo , Cocchi Claudio A. , Lanfredini Mario , Keen Carl L. , Gershwin M. Eric
Published: November 2008

Chronic and acute inflammation underlies the molecular basis of atherosclerosis. Cocoa‐based products are among the richest functional foods based upon flavanols and their influence on the inflammatory pathway, as demonstrated by severalin vitroorex vivostudies. Indeed, flavanols modify the production of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, the synthesis of eicosanoids, the activation of platelets, and nitric oxide‐mediated mechanisms. A relative paucity of data still characterizes thein vivoimplications of these findings albeit there have been studies suggesting that the regular or occasional consumption of cocoa‐rich compounds exerts beneficial effects on blood pressure, insulin resistance, vascular damage, and oxidative stress. Accordingly, rigorous controlled human studies with adequate follow‐up and with the use of critical dietary questionnaires are needed to determine the effects of flavanols on the major endpoints of cardiovascular health.
Case–control analysis with a continuous outcome variable
Authors: Jiang Yannan , Scott Alastair , Wild Chris J.
Published: November 2008

It is not uncommon for a continuous outcome variableYto be dichotomized and analysed using logistic regression. Moser and Coombs (Statist. Med.2004;23:1843–1860) provide a method for converting the output from a standard linear regression analysis using the original continuous outcomeYto give much more efficient inferences about the same odds‐ratio parameters being estimated by the logistic regression. However, these results apply only to prospective studies. This paper follows up Moser and Coombs by providing an efficient linear‐model‐based solution for data collected using case–control studies. Gains in statistical efficiency of up to 240 per cent are obtained even with small to moderate odds ratios. Differences in design efficiency between case–control and prospective sampling designs are found to be much smaller, however, when linear‐model‐based analyses are being used than they are when logistic regression analyses are being used. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sicherheitsverglasungen als Hybridbauteil
Authors: Weller Bernhard , Weimar Thorsten
Published: November 2008

Hybride Bauteile spielen im Bauwesen eine immer größere Rolle. Durch die gezielte Kombination von unterschiedlichen Werkstoffen zu einem Verbundwerkstoff lassen sich gewünschte Gebrauchseigenschaften erweitern oder optimieren, die einer allein nicht leisten kann. Im Konstruktiven Glasbau trägt die Verbindung des spröden Baustoffes Glas mit duktilen Materialien entscheidend dazu bei, das Anwendungsspektrum über die Werkstoffgrenzen hinaus zu erweitern. Im Bereich der Sicherheitssonderverglasungen besteht die Möglichkeit, die allgemeinen und angriffhemmenden Gebrauchseigenschaften durch ein Hybridbauteil aus Glas und Polycarbonat zu optimieren. Diese Verbundtafeln sind im Vergleich zu konventionellen Verbund‐Sicherheitsgläsern schlanker und leichter. Dazu wurde das Tragverhalten und Resttragverhalten der Glas‐Polycarbonat‐Verbundtafeln experimentell untersucht. Die Ergebnisse bilden die Grundlage für Berechnungsmethoden und die ingenieurmäßige Erfassung von Glas‐Polycarbonat‐Verbundtafeln. Am Institut für Baukonstruktion der Technischen Universität Dresden bilden hybride Bauteile aus Glas einen Schwerpunkt der aktuellen Forschungsarbeit.
Experimental study of reinforced concrete beams strengthened with a GFRP channel and CFRP sheets
Authors: Hong Won‐Kee , Park Seon‐Chee , Kim Hee‐Cheul , Kim Jin‐Min , Kim Seung‐Il , Lee Seung‐Geun
Published: November 2008

Glass–fibre‐reinforced polymer (GFRP) jackets were used in several different ways to improve the flexural and shear performance of reinforced concrete (RC) beams. The GFRP jacket increased both the ductility and the strength of the concrete beam. An experimental and analytical study was conducted to investigate the use of the GFRP channel in improving the flexural capacity of a RC wide beam. The parameters investigated in this study were stiffness, ductility and failure mode. The test results showed that using the GFRP channel significantly improved the flexural capacity of the RC wide beams. The tensile stresses due to the inclined cracks in the concrete can be transferred to the concrete on each side of the crack when interfacial bond activities are maintained. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prenatal ultrasonographic diagnosis of polymicrogyria
Authors: Dhombres F. , Nahama‐Allouche C. , Gelot A. , Jouannic J.‐M. , Billette de Villemeur T. , Saint‐Frison M.‐H. , Ducou le Pointe H. , Garel C.
Published: November 2008

We report a rare case of polymicrogyria diagnosed at 27 weeks' gestation on ultrasound examination and associated with cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection. The ultrasound finding suggesting this diagnosis was the direct visibility of the overfolded cortical ribbon. The cerebral surface was clearly visible because of a markedly enlarged pericerebral space associated with micrencephaly secondary to CMV infection. Bilateral opercular dysplasia was also present. Very few sonographic markers of infectious fetopathy were observed other than periventricular cysts located behind both ventricular horns. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the fetal brain confirmed the ultrasound findings and also showed the presence of marked micrencephaly, whereas cephalic measurements acquired on ultrasound examination (biparietal diameter and head circumference) were within the normal range. This case emphasizes the complementary roles of sonography and MRI in the prenatal diagnosis of cerebral abnormalities. Moreover, it illustrates the fact that polymicrogyria is easier to diagnose on ultrasound examination during the second trimester, before the development of secondary sulci. Copyright © 2008 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Why Is There No Social Democracy in America?
Authors: Boyle Kevin
Published: November 2008

There's something about the New Deal that invites generational revision. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, when liberalism still defined the parameters of public policy, historians celebrated the New Deal as the culmination of modern reform—the federal government's relentlessly pragmatic, strikingly successful response to the burdens of an industrial age. The fierce politics of the late 1960s shattered that interpretation. The New Deal was a terrible disappointment, said the era's younger historians, its grand promise undermined by the Roosevelt administration's refusal to confront capitalist power while embracing—even reinforcing—racial, gender, and class hierarchies.1
A moving and mystifying target language?
Authors: Bolton Kingsley , Graddol David , Mesthrie Rajend
Published: November 2008

This issue presents a selection of articles on English in various contexts and settings, with a significant focus on education in the first four. Susan Van Rooy describes the language experiences of South Korean academics and their families in a small town in South Africa, and the consequences of their stay abroad for their English language proficiency. She reminds us that not all EFL learners of English have the ‘Inner Circle’ mainstream as their model: Potchefstroom, South Africa offers a mix between Inner and Outer Circle, probably having more features of the latter. Christian Burrows writes about methodologies of EFL classrooms in Japan, where cultural constraints make TBL (Task-Based Learning) more challenging than its Western proponents realise. The next two articles emphasise the need to pay attention to colloquial spoken language. Manfred Markus writes about the need to focus on phonetic accuracy in EFL teaching, or at least to try and replicate mainstream norms as much as possible. Fan Xianlong contributes a paper on the ever-changing spoken norms of the mainstream, based on his experiences as a visiting scholar in the United States. Although many of the features he describes are well known to Western sociolinguists, the article presents a refreshing perspective of how complex the notion of ‘target language’ must be to users of ESL and EFL. More often it is a moving and mystifying target, with its cultural and political minefields that find their way into everyday usage.
The thyme is nigh
Authors: Tulloch Alexander
Published: November 2008

Some religious etymologies in English.

Whatever religious beliefs we hold or do not hold, there is no denying the fact that all cultures are affected to a greater or lesser degree by religion. Whether or not we attend church on a Sunday, the mosque on a Friday or the synagogue on the Sabbath the language we use during the rest of the week will be peppered with words and phrases which can be traced back to religious rites and practices of one sort or another. In the case of English, which has absorbed some of the vocabulary of most of the main religions in the world, the dominant influence has to be Christianity. And because the early church texts and documents were frequently written in, and heavily dependant upon, Latin and ancient Greek their influence is still detected in many of the religious and cultural references we make in everyday speech.
Stem mortality of Acacia nigrescens induced by the synergistic effects of elephants and fire in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Authors: Moncrieff Glenn R. , Kruger Laurence M. , Midgley Jeremy J.
Published: November 2008

One manner in which elephants utilize trees is by removing their bark. This type of utilization is concentrated on the largest trees in the landscape. The role of bark removal in increasing the vulnerability of large trees to fire and the mechanism through which fire damage is mediated were investigated in Kruger National Park, South Africa, by experimentally removing bark and burning Acacia nigrescens stems with diameters ranging between 30 and 68 mm. Also, field surveys were conducted subsequent to natural fires in order to investigate mortality patterns of large trees with dbh greater than 15 cm with bark removed by elephants. An increasing probability of mortality was associated with increasing amounts of bark removal but only if trees were burned. When trees had bark removed but were not burnt, simulating damage only to cambium and phloem, none of the 12 treated stems died in the 4-mo period over which the experiment ran. Moreover, low levels of cambium damage were detected in large burned stems. This suggests that bark removal increases fire-induced xylem damage and that this damage contributes towards stem mortality. In a survey of 437 large trees, bark removal by elephants was frequent on large stems (44%) and larger trees have greater amounts of bark removed. Post-fire mortality of large trees was significantly associated with increasing bark removal and stem diameter. These results indicate that bark removal by elephants increases the vulnerability of stems to fire, resulting in mortality of large stems otherwise protected from fire.
From Defining to Designing: Communicative Specifications versus Communicative Methodology in Foreign Language Teaching
Authors: Brumfit Christopher J.
Published: November 2008

This paper attempts to explore some of the implications of viewing language learning as a process that deals with a product that is not static. Language, we can increasingly see, is not a set of definable and prearranged tokens but a process of linguistic and cultural negotiation of meaning. Students have to develop their innate ability to use language for their own purposes in interaction with the purposes of other language users. Communicative syllabuses have been discussed partly through a recognition of this need, but a discussion of syllabus organisation is not enough, for the methodological implications are much more important. If languages are not, in principle, discrete, language teaching will not be served well if it is based on the assumption that we can specify the learner's product exactly. All syllabuses tend to concentrate on the product, or content. This paper argues that it is time to move away from syllabus definition, which has been adequately discussed for the current state of classroom practice.
Learner-Centered Communicative Language Teaching: Needs Analysis Revisited
Authors: Holec Henri
Published: November 2008

The development of the communicative approach to language teaching and language learning, started only a few years back with the pilot work done in several centers for research in applied linguistics and by the language project group of the Council of Europe, has now reached a stage where it can safely be said that the pace has been set, and that a return to a strict linguistic or structural approach is not likely to occur. This does not mean, though, that all is for the best in the best of all possible language teaching worlds: all the pedagogical issues raised by the new approach have not been solved, nor thoroughly thought out yet, and our current practice, still in its exploratory stage, is largely based on intuitions and rules of thumb.
Some Approaches to Communicative Language Teaching in Canada
Authors: Stern H.H.
Published: November 2008

As in most other countries, the interest in communicative language teaching has been considerable in Canada. This interest has influenced curriculum development, materials production, experimental teaching, and approaches to language testing; and a good deal of experience has been reported. As everywhere else, there is in Canada today a need to clarify what is meant by communicative language teaching (CLT). In paper appearing in the proceedings of the 1978 AILA Congress in Montreal, the present author has attempted to distinguish between the psychopedagogic and the sociolinguistic concepts under which CLT has been understood (Stern, 1978). As will be seen, the distinction underlies this discussion.
Relationships Between Use of the Strategy of Monitoring and the Cognitive Style
Authors: Abraham Roberta G.
Published: November 2008

This study addresses the question of whether observed differences in the use of the strategy of monitoring (as defined by Krashen) is related to four rather stable cognitive styles. Subjects were 40 Spanish-speaking adults in a university ESL program. Each subject's use of monitoring was assessed by comparing the degree of correctness s/he demonstrated with respect to one morpheme, third-person-singular s, in elicited speech, taken to represent his/her acquired knowledge of the morpheme, and on three writing tasks—fill-in-the-blank, proofreading, and composition—taken to represent acquired knowledge modified by conscious application of the third-person-singular rule. It was hypothesized that the most monitoring would occur on the fill-in-the-blank test, and the least on the composition. The cognitive styles hypothesized to be related to monitor use were field independence, reflection, flexible control, and preference for processing information by written word.

No significant differences in the amount of monitoring on the three written tasks were noted. Field independence was positively related to the amount of monitoring on all written tasks, and reflection weakly but positively related to the amount of monitoring on the proofreading task. Implications for further research are discussed.
The Partiality and Relevance of Linguistic Descriptions
Authors: Widdowson H.G.
Published: November 2008

It is a common assumption among language teachers that their subject should somehow be defined by reference to models of linguistic description devised by linguists. This does not mean that they try to transfer such models directly into the pedagogic domain (although such attempts are not unknown): there is usually a recognition that they have to be modified in one way or another to suit a teaching purpose. But the basic theoretical orientation is retained. The same assumption dominates applied linguistics. The very name is a proclamation of dependence. Now I have nothing against linguistics. Some of my best friends etc. But I think one must be wary of its influence. In this paper I want to question the common assumption, axiomatic in its force, that a linguistic model of language must of necessity serve as the underlying frame of reference for language teaching. And I want to suggest that it is the business of applied linguistics as the theoretical branch of language teaching pedagogy to look for a model that will serve this purpose. I think that applied linguistics can only claim to be an autonomous area of enquiry to the extent that it can free itself from the hegemony of linguistics and deny the connotations of its name.
Applied Linguistics, Linguistics Research and the Empirical Model
Authors: Ingram Elisabeth
Published: November 2008

Applied linguistics is very much a problem-oriented discipline and therefore necessarily an integrative discipline. I know that it is difficult to define what a ‘problem’ is; there are nevertheless important differences between problem-oriented disciplines and theory-based disciplines, like psychology and linguistics, to take a couple of relevant examples. Activities, including research, carried out in the name of applied linguistics should throw light on the processes and conditions and phenomena of language acquisition, language learning or language use, with the aim of contributing to the solution of the difficulties and practical problems that arise. And the problems that people face in connection with language learning or language use are messy, that is to say, like all real life situations they are not analysable in term of only one basic discipline. The chief requirement on research within such basic disciplines is that it should throw light on theoretical models and issues, and to do that the researcher abstracts from the experential world only those special aspects which are interesting to him. People who work in applied disciplines have to deal with complex real life situations as they are, as they are seen to be by the participants in those situations, and have to draw on whatever background disciplines that are relevant and available. (That nearly always means that more than one researcher has to be involved.)
Pure and Applied Research in Linguistics: Is the Difference Merely One of Motivation?
Authors: Corder S.P.
Published: November 2008

It is perhaps natural that in the early years of emergence of a new field of study and research its practitioners should from time to time ask themselves what is the nature of the activity they are engaged in. The need to do so may stem from a number of different causes: philosophical, sociological and psychological. The practitioners may feel the need to establish a personal identity, that is, some accepted place for themselves in the social structure of the academic world, to achieve respect and recognition as workers in the field of scholarship, a role in the institution of higher studies. They may feel that the discipline they profess is not properly recognised within the scholarly domain, its place not clearly determined in the structure of science or scholarship, its value to society not appreciated; and that consequently it does not attract research funds in its own name, permit the establishment of courses and programmes which lead to academic degrees or qualifications bearing its name, or of learned societies devoted to discussing its problems and disseminating its notions. All of these factors I believe play a part in the motivations for the constantly renewed discussion of WHAT IS APPLIED LINGUISTICS? None of them is in any way reprehensible or unworthy. The intensity or frequency with which these discussions occur is a response to the prevailing orthodox views about the discipline itself and its relation to neighbouring disciplines found in the society where the discussions take place, and to the degree to which its practitioners (i.e. people who call themselves applied linguists) feel oppressed, unrecognised or undervalued by the members of the institution in which they work and with whom they interact. This is a whole field of investigation open to the sociologist of science to describe and explain.
Pidginization and the Elaboration of Learner-Based Syllabi in FL Instruction
Authors: Valdman Albert
Published: November 2008

Following Sandra Savignon's pioneering study (1972), the attainment of communicative ability has become a highly valued goal in foreign language (FL) instruction. Savignon recognized that a pedagogical approach aimed at developing rudimentary communicative ability required considerable changes in instructional environment (for example, higher proportion of classtime devoted to communicative activities, the use of games and simulation techniques, the reinterpretation of the role of the teacher). But few advocates of the inclusion of communicative ability among the basic FL skills seem to have recognized the need for extensive concomitant modifications, particularly in the areas of syllabus design and the preparation of teaching materials. They have been content to pair communicative activities with grammar-oriented syllabuses and instructional materials that stress cognitive and analytical control. The scope and sequence of these traditional FL materials are based on discrete phonological, morphosyntactic, or lexical features. The number of features selected far exceeds the capacity of learners to internalize, let alone “cognize” them. Even materials that adopt a situational format subordinate pragmatic aspects to structural features; for instance, dialogs are used as vehicles for the “seeding” of pre-selected structures (Rivers 1975:22).
Teaching German as a Second Language in Germany: Bilingualism in the Federal Republic
Authors: Hüllen Werner
Published: November 2008

The topic of this paper is teaching German as a second language in the Federal Republic of Germany. The paper examines a bilingual situation in which members of a foreign minority, while striving to preserve their own national identity, are forced to learn another language in order to assimilate the cultural system of a new homeland.
First-language differences in processing spatial/chronological and hierarchical information
Authors: Long Michael , Scarcella Robin , Martin Anne V.
Published: November 2008

In a recent study of 190 university-level advanced ESL students from 8 first-language backgrounds, significant differences were found between several groups in their proficiency in processing spatial/chronological and hierarchical information in written discourse. This paper summarizes the study, presents the results and suggests possible variables which may contribute to first-language differences in acquiring English.
Comprehension, Comprehensibility, and Learning in the Second Language Classroom
Authors: Chaudron Craig
Published: November 2008

Two questions are fundamental to research on second language learning in instructional settings: (1) Does second language instruction have a positive influence on acquisition? and (2) If so, what factors in instruction make a difference, how, and for whom? This paper considers theory and research on second language classroom behavior that is aimed toward answering the second question, given evidence that the answer to the first one is affirmative.

Theory suggests that the provision of comprehensible input, a focus on formal aspects of the target language, and the learner's opportunity to practice the target language, all may contribute to L2 development. Empirical research is reviewed to explore what modifications of teacher speech might influence comprehensibility, whether amount of exposure to target forms is related to learners' development, and which instructional behaviors might lead to productive practice with and knowledge about the target language.
Markedness and Second Language Acquisition
Authors: White Lydia
Published: November 2008

In this paper, various definitions of markedness are discussed, including the difference in the assumptions underlying psychological and linguistic approaches to markedness. It is proposed that if one adopts a definition derived from theories of language learnability, then the second language learner's prior linguistic experience may predispose him or her towards transferring marked structures from the first language to the second, contrary to usual assumptions in the literature that suggest that second language learners will avoid marked forms. To test this hypothesis, adult and child learners of French as a second language were tested using grammaticality judgment tasks on two marked structures, preposition stranding and the double object construction, which are grammatical in English but ungrammatical in French, to see if they would accept French versions of these structures. It was found that the second language learners did not accept preposition stranding in French but did accept the double object construction, suggesting that transfer takes place only with one of the two marked structures. In addition, the children took tests on these structures in their native language to see if they perceived them as in any sense psycholinguistically marked. Results show that they do not treat marked and unmarked structures differently in the native language. It is suggested that the concept of markedness may cover a range of phenomena that need to be further clarified and investigated.
Neurological Bimodality and Theories of Language Teaching
Authors: Danesi Marcel
Published: November 2008

The failure of the method notion in second language teaching has been attributed to a series of valid pedagogical and socioeducational factors. The concept of neurological bimodality, which posits that effective language learning in a classroom environment requires the utilization of the perceptual modalities associated with each cerebral hemisphere, offers a more fundamental, neurologically related diagnosis of this failure. This paper looks at the historiography of language teaching theories from the perspective of bimodality, and then concludes with specific suggestions vis-à-vis the kinds of research directions that might empirically substantiate the usefulness of this concept for second language acquisition in a classroom environment.
Identity Markers and L2 Pronunciation
Authors: Zuengler Jane
Published: November 2008

This is a report of a study of social marking in second language pronunciation. In particular, it tested out Trudgill's (1981) suggestion that sounds that are most likely to undergo sociolinguistic variation, that is, that may become social markers, are those that Labov (1972a, 1972b), calls stereotypes. This study sought to determine whether there were certain aspects of English pronunciation that native Spanish speakers would, at some level of awareness, associate with American English/American identity. The speakers were asked to perform several tasks, including a mimic of an American speaking Spanish with an American accent (following Flege & Hammond, 1982). Among the results, speakers displayed a tacit awareness of English-Spanish sound distinctions (in particular, allophonic differences) in performing the mimic (supporting Flege & Hammond, 1982). Additionally, some of the alterations they were very conscious of held as stereotypes of American English. Support was found for Trudgill's (1981) suggestion.
Variation and the Interlanguage Hypothesis
Authors: Young Richard
Published: November 2008

Previous studies of variation in interlanguage morphology have led to conflicting and contradictory claims concerning the relation between interlanguage forms and the contexts in which they occur. The present study suggests that such contradictions are due to the descriptively inadequate model of variation used in earlier studies. A multivariate model is proposed and applied to the analysis of variation in the acquisition of the English (s) pluralizaron rule by native speakers of Chinese. Three major groups of factors are shown to influence variation: stage of acquisition, linguistic environment, and communicative redundancy. Findings confirm the hypothesis that there exists a degree of systematicity in interlanguage, but suggest that the interlanguage system is best described in terms of probabilistic rules.
Discourse Structure and the Negotiation of Comprehensible Input
Authors: Ehrlich Susan , Avery Peter , Yorio Carlos
Published: November 2008

This article examines the role of negotiations of meaning in providing comprehensible input for NNS learners. We report on an experiment conducted with NS–NNS and NS–NS pairs involving a picture-drawing task, where one member of each pair instructed the other in the drawing of simple objects. The results of the experiment suggest that the success or failure of meaning negotiations in providing comprehensible input depends on the point in the discourse at which they occur. We therefore question a prevailing assumption in the second language acquisition literature that the mere quantity of meaning negotiations within a discourse is an accurate predictor of the quantity of comprehensible input that results. We propose that meaning negotiations should be analyzed within a discourse framework to explain their role in creating comprehensible input.
The Effect of Prereading, Rhetorically-Oriented Frameworks on the Recall of Two Structurally Different Expository Texts
Authors: Lee James F. , Riley Gail L.
Published: November 2008

Research in both first and second language reading has undertaken the study of discourse structure and the influence of the rhetorical organization of the text on readers' passage comprehension. A considerable amount of research has also examined the effect of text adjuncts of various kinds on passage comprehension. The present study explored the effect of providing novice foreign language readers information about the rhetorical structure of an expository text as a text adjunct. Two passages were tested under each of three conditions: no framework, minimal framework, and expanded framework. Results indicate that an expanded framework is an effective text adjunct for the comprehension of expository prose.
The Acquisition of Community Speech Norms by Asian Immigrants Learning English as a Second Language
Authors: Adamson H. D. , Regan Vera M.
Published: November 2008

We investigate Vietnamese and Cambodian immigrants' acquisition of the variable (ing), which occurs in progressive tenses, participles, noun phrases, etc., and which can be pronounced [iŋ] or [In]. A VARBRUL 2 program analysis of native speaker speech shows that the production of (ing) is constrained by phonological, grammatical, stylistic, and social factors. An analysis of the nonnative speakers' acquisition of these norms shows that [In] is more frequent before anterior segments (reflecting ease of articulation), and that males use [In] more frequently than females, especially in monitored speech (perhaps reflecting their desire to accommodate to a male native speaker norm rather than to an overall native speaker norm). The analysis also shows evidence of grammatical constraints which are different from those in the native speakers' speech. This difference may reflect the fact that it is easier to acquire the [In] variant in “frozen forms,” such as prepositions, than in productive rules.
What Causes Avoidance in L2 Learning
Authors: Laufer Batia , Eliasson Stig
Published: November 2008

Among the structural and lexical factors claimed to account for avoidance in second language learning are (a) cross-linguistic difference, (b) cross-linguistic similarity, and (c) intrinsic complexity of the second language features avoided. This paper examines patterns of avoidance and preference for phrasal verbs or equivalent single-word verbs among Swedish learners of English. We assumed that if the subjects avoided English phrasal verbs, particularly the figurative ones, even though phrasal verbs exist in Swedish, this would indicate that inherent semantic difficulty of second language forms was the main factor contributing to the avoidance behavior. If, on the other hand, the learners did not show any preference for one-word verb forms in English, or indeed favored the phrasal forms, this would support the assumption that avoidance or nonavoidance depends largely on differences or similarities between the native and the foreign language.

A multiple-choice test and a translation test were given to two groups of advanced Swedish-speaking learners of English. Each test consisted of 20 sentences, allowing for the choice of either a phrasal or a synonymous single-word verb. The test answers showed that the Swedish learners avoided neither phrasal verbs in general nor the figurative ones in particular, regardless of whether the verbs were similar to, or different from, their Swedish translation equivalents. Furthermore, the results were compared to the avoidance patterns of a group of advanced Hebrew-speaking learners of English. From the comparison it emerged that the Swedish learners usedsignificantly more phrasal verbs than the Israelis, notably figurative ones. These results suggest that the avoidance is determined more by a systemic incongruence between the first language (L1) and the second language (L2) than by the inherent difficulty of L2 forms.
The Role of Instrution in SLA
Authors: Lightbown Patsy M. , Spada Nina , White Lydia
Published: November 2008

The papers in this issue were presented at a colloquium on The Role of Instruction in Second Language Acquisition held at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, in July 1991. Participants in the Colloquium were the following:

Birgit Harley, OISE, University of Toronto

Patsy M. Lightbown, Concordia University

Michael Long, University of Hawaii

Manfred Pienemann, Sydney University

Bonnie Schwartz, University of Durham

Michael Sharwood Smith, Utrecht University

Nina Spada, McGill University

Bill VanPatten, University of Illinois

Lydia White, McGill University

The Colloquium was sponsored by Concordia University and McGill University as well as by research grants from the government of Quebec through its Fonds pour la formation de chercheurs et l'aide à la recherche and from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.