bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Internet gaming disorder, social network disorder and laterality: handedness relates to pathological use of social networks
Authors: Bouna-Pyrrou Polyxeni , Mühle Christiane , Kornhuber Johannes , Lenz Bernd
Published: January 2015

The internet age bears new challenges that include health risks. It is agreed that excessive internet use may reach pathological levels. However, the concept of internet addiction lacks specificity and, therefore, warrants studies on its diagnostic and etiologic classification. This study was conducted to characterize the novel DSM-5 criteria for internet gaming disorder and the adapted criteria for the “social network disorder”. Based on the established association of handedness and substance use disorders, we also explored whether internet use related to laterality. For this study, 3,287 volunteers participated in the online survey and gave particulars concerning their internet use in general, internet gaming and use of social networks, laterality markers (hand, foot, eye, ear, rotational preference in gymnastics, and head turning asymmetry) and health status. Of the participants, 1.1 % fulfilled the criteria for internet gaming disorder, and 1.8 % fulfilled the criteria for social network disorder. The applied criteria were highly correlated with the time spent on the respective internet activities (p < 4 × 10−56). The analyses of comorbidity and working hours support the thresholds of 5/9 criteria and ≥30 h/week spent on the internet for the classification as pathological (p < 5 × 10−2). Moreover, we found that left-handedness related to more affirmed criteria and longer times spent on social networks (p ≤ 4 × 10−2). The provided criteria proved to be user-friendly, comprehensible and well accepted. The results contribute to a better understanding of pathological internet gaming and social network use and provide evidence that biological markers of substance use disorders are involved in internet addiction.
Targeted Prevention of Childhood Anxiety: Engaging Parents in an Underserved Community
Authors: Mian Nicholas D. , Eisenhower Abbey S. , Carter Alice S.
Published: January 2015

Selective prevention programs hold the promise of alleviating child anxiety symptoms, decreasing the risk for emotional problems across the lifespan. Such programs have particular public health import for young children of poor, underserved communities. Identifying factors related to parent engagement, and methods to improve engagement, are paramount in the effort to develop anxiety‐focused, community prevention programs. This feasibility study investigated the effect of an enhanced recruitment strategy to maximize parent engagement, as well as factors related to attendance in a single session focused on anxiety prevention. Participants were poor, ethnic minority parents of children aged 11–71 months (n = 256) who completed a survey that assessed anxiety risk according to trauma exposure, child anxiety, or parent anxiety, as well as preferences for preventive services (phase 1). Those meeting risk criteria (n = 101) were invited to a preventive group session (phase 2). Half of parents received enhanced recruitment (ER), which included personalized outreach, matching parent preferences, and community endorsement. Other parents were invited by mail. Chi square analyses indicated that ER was associated with planning to attend (49 vs. 6 % of control). Parents receiving ER were 3.5 times more likely to attend. Higher sociodemographic risk was correlated with higher child anxiety symptoms but not attendance. Results highlight the need for improved strategies for engaging parents in preventive, community‐based interventions.
Community Connectedness, Challenges, and Resilience Among Gay Latino Immigrants
Authors: Gray Nicole N. , Mendelsohn David M. , Omoto Allen M.
Published: January 2015

To date, relatively little psychological research has focused on the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) Latino/a immigrants to the United States. This qualitative study used face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews to explore the unique sources of stress, challenges, as well as opportunities and factors related to resilience among 13 gay Latino first‐ and second‐generation immigrants. Iterative coding of interview transcripts revealed four key themes, each of which is illustrated with verbatim quotes: (1) feelings of connectedness to the LGBT community, (2) feelings of connectedness to the Latino/a community, (3) intersectional challenges and strategies, and (4) well‐being, strength, and resilience. As suggested by these themes, gay Latino immigrants have distinct sources of stress and conflict, many of them associated with community memberships, but also draw on unique sources of support and adaptive thoughts and behaviors in facing stressors. Implications for studying risk and resilience factors among stigmatized populations, including LGBT individuals and immigrants, are discussed.
Insights into the structure of the diiron site of RIC from Escherichia coli
Authors: Nobre Lígia S. , Lousa Diana , Pacheco Isabel , Soares Cláudio M. , Teixeira Miguel , Saraiva Lígia M.
Published: January 2015

Repair of Iron Centres (RICs) are a widely‐spread family of diiron proteins involved in the protection of iron–sulphur‐containing enzymes from nitrosative and oxidative stress. Here, homology‐based modelling was used to predict putative ligands of the RIC diiron centre in E. coli. Site‐directed mutagenesis studies showed that several conserved residues modulate the spectroscopic properties of the diiron centre, and mutations in H129, E133 and E208 abrogated RIC ability to protect aconitase. Taken together, these data led to a structural model of a diiron centre inserted in a four‐helix bundle fold and coordinated by H84, H129, H160, H204, E133 and E208. Moreover, two μ‐carboxylate bridges involving E133 and E208 were found to be required for assembly of a stable diiron centre.
Modern Inhalational Anesthetics for Refractory Status Epilepticus
Authors: Zeiler Frederick A. , Zeiler Kaitlin J. , Teitelbaum Jeanne , Gillman Lawrence M. , West Michael
Published: January 2015

Background: Our goal was to perform a systematic review of the literature on the use of modern inhalational anesthetic agents for refractory status epilepticus and their impact on seizure control. Methods: All articles from MEDLINE, BIOSIS, EMBASE, Global Health, HealthStar, Scopus, Cochrane Library, the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (inception to March 2014), reference lists of relevant articles, and gray literature were searched. The strength of evidence was adjudicated using both the Oxford and Grading of Recommendation Assessment Development and Education methodology by two independent reviewers. Results: Overall, 19 studies were identified, with 16 manuscripts and 3 meeting abstracts. A total of 46 patients were treated. Adult (n=28) and pediatric patients (n=18) displayed 92.9% and 94.4% seizure control with treatment, respectively. Isoflurane was used in the majority of cases. Hypotension was the only complication described. Conclusions: Oxford level 4, Grading of Recommendation Assessment Development and Education D evidence exists to support the use of isoflurane in refractory status epilepticus to obtain burst suppression. Insufficient data exist to comment on the efficacy of desflurane and xenon at this time.
Convex structures revisited
Authors: PĂUNESCU LIVIU
Published: January 2015

We provide a complete characterization of extreme points of the space of sofic representations. We also show that the restriction map $\text{Sof}(G,P^{{\it\omega}})$ to $\text{Sof}(H,P^{{\it\omega}})$, where $H\subset G$, is not always surjective. The first part of the paper is a continuation of Păunescu [A convex structure on sofic embeddings. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.34(4) (2014), 1343–1352] and follows more closely the plan of Brown [Topological dynamical systems associated to $\text{II}_{1}$-factors. Adv. Math.227(4) (2011), 1665–1699].
Shadowing, thick sets and the Ramsey property
Authors: OPROCHA PIOTR
Published: January 2015

We provide a full characterization of relations between the shadowing property and the thick shadowing property. We prove that they are equivalent properties for non-wandering systems, the thick shadowing property is always a consequence of the shadowing property, and the thick shadowing property on the chain-recurrent set and the thick shadowing property are the same properties. We also provide a full characterization of the cases when for any family ${\mathcal{F}}$ with the Ramsey property an arbitrary sequence of points can be ${\it\varepsilon}$-traced over a set from ${\mathcal{F}}$.
Sources of Authoritarian Resilience in Regional Protest Waves: The Post-Communist Colour Revolutions and 2011 Arab Uprisings
Authors: Hess Steve
Published: January 2015

This article takes a comparative look at two historically and geographically interconnected waves of large-scale unrest: the colour revolutions of the post-communist region during the 2000s and the Arab uprisings of 2011. From this vantage point, it considers the power of alternative approaches in explaining the resilience or breakdown of autocratic regimes in the face of exogenously inspired protests. These explanations centre on the destabilizing impact of sudden economic downturns, the varied resilience of authoritarian subtypes, linkages to the outside world, the advantages of resource wealth and the threats posed by leadership successions. Drawing a deliberate comparison between these two waves of contention reveals several findings: first, structural factors such as resource wealth, monarchical political organization and weak political links to the outside made autocrats more resilient in the face of regional protest waves. Second, regimes temporarily undergoing leadership transitions were more vulnerable amidst regional waves.
The risk and protective factors associated with depression and anxiety in a national sample of Irish adolescents
Authors: Dooley B. , Fitzgerald A. , Giollabhui N. M.
Published: January 2015

Objectives

The aim of this study is to examine the risk and protective factors associated with anxiety and depression in a representative sample of Irish adolescents.

Methods

Data used in this study were drawn from a subset of the My World Survey (MWS). The MWS-Second Level (MWS-SL) subset consists of a randomised sample of 72 schools, with a final sample of 6085 students. Outcome measures were depression and anxiety. Risk and protective factors included measures within the socio-demographic, psychosocial and risk-taking domains.

Results

One in three adolescents experienced elevated levels of depression and anxiety. Age, gender, maternal education, family composition, parental mental health as well as the experience of racism and bereavement were associated with elevated distress. Psychosocial factors associated with depression and anxiety included optimism, personal competence, life-satisfaction, self-esteem, anger, body dissatisfaction, family competence, maternal and paternal criticism, experiencing the break-up of a romantic relationship, school and peer connectedness as well as the availability of one good adult. Finally, engaging in substance misuse was found to increase the likelihood of anxiety and depression.

Conclusion

Since factors protecting and putting adolescents at risk of anxiety and depression exist at every level of the adolescent’s ecological system, the study supports a community-based approach to youth mental health.
The propagation of gravity currents in a circular cross-section channel: experiments and theory
Authors: Longo S. , Ungarish M. , Di Federico V. , Chiapponi L. , Maranzoni A.
Published: January 2015

High-Reynolds number gravity currents (GC) in a horizontal channel with circular/semicircular side walls are investigated by comparing experimental data and shallow-water (SW) theoretical results. We focus attention on a Boussinesq system (salt water in fresh water): the denser fluid, occupying part of the depth or the full depth of the ambient fluid which fills the remaining part of the channel, is initially at rest in a lock separated by a gate from the downstream channel. Upon the rapid removal of the gate (‘dam break’), the denser ‘current’ begins propagating into the downstream channel, while a significant adjustment motion propagates upstream in the lock as a bore or rarefaction wave. Using an experimental channel provided by a tube of 19 cm diameter and up to 615 cm length, which could be filled to various levels, we investigated both full-depth and part-depth releases, considered the various stages of inertial-buoyancy propagation (in particular, the initial ‘slumping’ with constant speed, and the transition to the late self-similar propagation with time to the power $3/4$), and detected the transition to the viscous-buoyancy regime. A first series of tests is focused on the motion in the lock while a second series of tests is focused on the evolution of the downstream current. The speed of propagation of the current in the slumping stage is overpredicted by the theory, by about the same amount (typically 15 %) as observed in the classical flat bottom case. The length of transition to viscous regime turns out to be ${\sim}[\mathit{Re}_{0}(h_{0}/x_{0})]^{{\it\alpha}}$ ($\mathit{Re}_{0}=(g^{\prime }h_{0})^{1/2}h_{0}/{\it\nu}_{c}$ is the initial Reynolds number, $g^{\prime }$ is the reduced gravity, ${\it\nu}_{c}$ is the kinematic viscosity of the denser fluid, $h_{0}$ and $x_{0}$ are the height of the denser current and the length of the lock, respectively), with the theoretical ${\it\alpha}=3/8$ and experimental ${\it\alpha}\approx 0.27$.
The Graetz–Nusselt problem extended to continuum flows with finite slip
Authors: Haase A. Sander , Chapman S. Jonathan , Tsai Peichun Amy , Lohse Detlef , Lammertink Rob G. H.
Published: January 2015

Graetz and Nusselt studied heat transfer between a developed laminar fluid flow and a tube at constant wall temperature. Here, we extend the Graetz–Nusselt problem to dense fluid flows with partial wall slip. Its limits correspond to the classical problems for no-slip and no-shear flow. The amount of heat transfer is expressed by the local Nusselt number $\mathit{Nu}_{x}$, which is defined as the ratio of convective to conductive radial heat transfer. In the thermally developing regime, $\mathit{Nu}_{x}$ scales with the ratio of position $\tilde{x}=x/L$ to Graetz number $\mathit{Gz}$, i.e. $\mathit{Nu}_{x}\propto (\tilde{x}/\mathit{Gz})^{-{\it\beta}}$. Here, $L$ is the length of the heated or cooled tube section. The Graetz number $\mathit{Gz}$ corresponds to the ratio of axial advective to radial diffusive heat transport. In the case of no slip, the scaling exponent ${\it\beta}$ equals $1/3$. For no-shear flow, ${\it\beta}=1/2$. The results show that for partial slip, where the ratio of slip length $b$ to tube radius $R$ ranges from zero to infinity, ${\it\beta}$ transitions from $1/3$ to $1/2$ when $10^{-4}<b/R<10^{0}$. For partial slip, ${\it\beta}$ is a function of both position and slip length. The developed Nusselt number $\mathit{Nu}_{\infty }$ for $\tilde{x}/\mathit{Gz}>0.1$ transitions from 3.66 to 5.78, the classical limits, when $10^{-2}<b/R<10^{2}$. A mathematical and physical explanation is provided for the distinct transition points for ${\it\beta}$ and $\mathit{Nu}_{\infty }$.
A clustering coefficient for complete weighted networks
Authors: MCASSEY MICHAEL P. , BIJMA FETSJE
Published: January 2015

The clustering coefficient is typically used as a measure of the prevalence of node clusters in a network. Various definitions for this measure have been proposed for the cases of networks having weighted edges which may or not be directed. However, these techniques consistently assume that only a subset of all possible edges is present in the network, whereas there are weighted networks of interest in which all possible edges are present, that is, complete weighted networks. For this situation, the concept of clustering is redefined, and computational techniques are presented for computing an associated clustering coefficient for complete weighted undirected or directed networks. The performance of this new definition is compared with that of current clustering definitions when extended to complete weighted networks.
Phenolic sulfates as new and highly abundant metabolites in human plasma after ingestion of a mixed berry fruit purée
Authors: Pimpão Rui C. , Ventura M. Rita , Ferreira Ricardo B. , Williamson Gary , Santos Claudia N.
Published: January 2015

Bioavailability studies are vital to assess the potential impact of bioactive compounds on human health. Although conjugated phenolic metabolites derived from colonic metabolism have been identified in the urine, the quantification and appearance of these compounds in plasma is less well studied. In this regard, it is important to further assess their potential biological activityin vivo. To address this gap, a cross-over intervention study with a mixed fruit purée (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry tree fruit and Portuguese crowberry) and a standard polyphenol-free meal was conducted in thirteen volunteers (ten females and three males), who received each test meal once, and plasma metabolites were identified by HPLC–MS/MS. Sulfated compounds were chemically synthesised and used as standards to facilitate quantification. Gallic and caffeic acid conjugates were absorbed rapidly, reaching a maximum concentration between 1 and 2 h. The concentrations of sulfated metabolites resulting from the colonic degradation of more complex polyphenols increased in plasma from 4 h, and pyrogallol sulfate and catechol sulfate reached concentrations ranging from 5 to 20 μmat 6 h. In conclusion, phenolic sulfates reached high concentrations in plasma, as opposed to their undetected parent compounds. These compounds have potential use as biomarkers of polyphenol intake, and their biological activities need to be considered.
Metabolic syndrome risk factors are associated with white rice intake in Korean adolescent girls and boys
Authors: Song SuJin , Young Paik Hee , Song Won O. , Song YoonJu
Published: January 2015

In the present study, we examined the associations of total carbohydrate intake, dietary glycaemic load (DGL) and white rice intake with metabolic syndrome risk factors by sex in Korean adolescents. For the present cross-sectional study, data from the Fourth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007–9) were used. A total of 2209 adolescents (n 1164 boys and n 1045 girls) aged 10–18 years with complete anthropometric, biochemical and dietary intake data were included in the study. Dietary intake data were obtained using the 24 h recall method, and total carbohydrate intake, DGL and white rice intake were divided into quartiles by sex. The metabolic syndrome and its risk factors were defined using the International Diabetes Federation criteria for children and adolescents. Fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance were included as the metabolic syndrome risk factors. All statistical analyses considered the complex sampling design effect and appropriate sampling weights. Multivariate linear regression analysis was used to estimate means with their standard errors of the mean for the metabolic syndrome risk factors across the quartiles of total carbohydrate intake, DGL and white rice intake. While high DGL was significantly associated with increased fasting glucose levels in boys, high total carbohydrate intake, DGL and white rice intake were consistently associated with reduced HDL-cholesterol levels in girls. High white rice intake was significantly associated with an increased risk of insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome in girls but not in boys. Optimising dietary carbohydrate intake with respect to the source or amount is fundamental to preventing and managing metabolic diseases in Asian adolescents.
Molecular analysis of faecal samples from birds to identify potential crop pests and useful biocontrol agents in natural areas
Authors: King R.A. , Symondson W.O.C. , Thomas R.J.
Published: January 2015

Wild habitats adjoining farmland are potentially valuable sources of natural enemies, but also of pests. Here we tested the utility of birds as ‘sampling devices’, to identify the diversity of prey available to predators and particularly to screen for pests and natural enemies using natural ecosystems as refugia. Here we used PCR to amplify prey DNA from three sympatric songbirds foraging on small invertebrates in Phragmites reedbed ecosystems, namely the Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus), Sedge Warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus) and Cetti's Warbler (Cettia cetti). A recently described general invertebrate primer pair was used for the first time to analyse diets. Amplicons were cloned and sequenced, then identified by reference to the Barcoding of Life Database and to our own sequences obtained from fresh invertebrates. Forty-five distinct prey DNA sequences were obtained from 11 faecal samples, of which 39 could be identified to species or genus. Targeting three warbler species ensured that species-specific differences in prey choice broadened the range of prey taken. Amongst the prey found in reedbeds were major pests (including the tomato moth Lacanobia oleracea) as well as many potentially valuable natural enemies including aphidophagous hoverflies and braconid wasps. Given the mobility of birds, this approach provides a practical way of sampling a whole habitat at once, providing growers with information on possible invasion by locally resident pests and the colonization potential of natural enemies from local natural habitats.
Genetic effects of the critical factors of sugary1 fitness
Authors: DJEMEL A. , ORDÁS B. , HANIFI-MEKLICHE L. , KHELIFI L. , ORDÁS A. , REVILLA P.
Published: January 2015

The present study was designed to estimate the effects of the mutant su1 on the genetic regulation of fitness-related traits when introgressed into field maize backgrounds. Estimated genetic effects of agronomic traits in Su1 v. su1 plants were monitored in two separate mean generation designs. The first involved unrelated inbred lines EP42 and A631, while two Corn Belt inbred lines, A619 and A632, were used for the second design. Parents, F1s, F2s and backcrosses were crossed to the su1 inbred P39 as the donor of su1 and the 12 crosses were successively self-pollinated for 5 years. For each cross, Su1 and su1 kernels were evaluated separately in a growth chamber under controlled environmental conditions following a randomized complete block design. In addition, the genotypes were evaluated in field trials in 10 × 10 triple lattice designs during 2010 and 2011 at Pontevedra in north-western Spain; and in 2010 at Algiers, located in the sub-humid North of Algeria. The performance of su1 plants was lower when compared to the Su1 plants for all traits evaluated in both designs and across environments. The estimates of genetic effects of Su1 v. su1 plants were strongly affected by genotype and environment. The results suggest that, depending on specific sweet × field maize interaction, seedling vigour and, particularly, chlorophyll content (CCM) were the most critical traits in determining su1 viability. However, the complexity of the genetic regulation of emergence and the great heterogeneity of environmental conditions in the field evaluation prevent the estimation of the genetic regulation on sugary1 fitness.
Hellenism and the Sentences-Commentary of Giles of Viterbo, 1469–1532
Authors: NODES DANIEL
Published: January 2015

Giles of Viterbo (1469–1532), cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church during the High Renaissance, was not merely a scholar influenced by the humanism and renewed Platonism of his day but a phil-Hellene according to various associations of Hellenism ranging from literary to political, ancient to modern. He embraced Hellenism in its many senses despite his belonging to the generation born after the fall of Constantinople. This is significant, for although Giles's interest in ancient Greek language and letters is generally acknowledged, insufficient scholarly attention has been paid to Giles's inclusive interest in Byzantine Hellenism and Orthodox Christian doctrine.
A longitudinal study of humpback whales in Irish waters
Authors: Ryan Conor , Whooley Pádraig , Berrow Simon D. , Barnes Colin , Massett Nick , Strietman Wouter J. , Broms Fredrik , Stevick Peter T. , Fernald Thomas W. , Schmidt Christian
Published: January 2015

Knowledge on the ecology of humpback whales in the eastern North Atlantic is lacking by comparison with most other ocean basins. Humpback whales were historically over-exploited in the region and are still found in low relative abundances. This, coupled with their large range makes them difficult to study. With the aim of informing more effective conservation measures in Ireland, the Irish Whale and Dolphin Group began recording sightings and images suitable for photo-identification of humpback whales from Irish waters in 1999. Validated records submitted by members of the public and data from dedicated surveys were analysed to form a longitudinal study of individually recognizable humpback whales. The distribution, relative abundance and seasonality of humpback whale sighting records are presented, revealing discrete important areas for humpback whales in Irish coastal waters. An annual easterly movement of humpback whales along the southern coast of Ireland is documented, mirroring that of their preferred prey: herring and sprat. Photo-identification images were compared with others collected throughout the North Atlantic (N = 8016), resulting in matches of two individuals between Ireland and Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands but no matches to known breeding grounds (Cape Verde and West Indies). This study demonstrates that combining public records with dedicated survey data is an effective approach to studying low-density, threatened migratory species over temporal and spatial scales that are relevant to conservation and management.
Inefficiency in the fight against wildlife crime in Brazil
Authors: da Silva Ednaldo Monteiro , Bernard Enrico
Published: January 2015

Brazil's biodiversity faces significant threats, including wildlife crime. Although wildlife is protected by law and there are enforcement agencies to administer penalties and impose fines, the effectiveness of this system is questionable. Tackling wildlife crime requires legislation aligned with well-structured mechanisms for surveillance and de facto punishment. We used data on notifications of violations and payment of fines associated with wildlife crime in the state of Pernambuco over 12 years as a proxy for efficiency in tackling wildlife crime in Brazil. We tracked 803 processes from 2000–2012, extracting data on the type of violation, the fine imposed, the length of process handling, and processing and payment status. The number of processes rose from 17 in 2004 to 167 in 2012, with 69% of cases occurring during 2008–2012. Only 37.6% of processes were concluded, with completion times of 286–4,558 days. Some processes had been open for 11.5 years. Fines totalling > USD 22 million were issued but only c. 1% of this amount was paid. Small fines are often pardoned or converted to a warning. Although enforcement has improved it is still inefficient, with errors in notification and data entry, a lengthy judicial process, and an inability to recover unpaid fines.
Theology without idolatry or violence
Authors: Rea Michael C.
Published: January 2015

Since the 1960s, metaphysics has flourished in Anglo-American philosophy. Far from wanting to avoid metaphysics, philosophers have embraced it in droves. There have been critics, to be sure; but the criticisms have received answers and the enterprise has carried on.
Reflections on The Analogy of Grace by Gerald McKenny
Authors: Nimmo Paul T.
Published: January 2015

One of the most significant studies of Barth's theological ethics to have appeared in recent years is The Analogy of Grace by Professor Gerald McKenny of the University of Notre Dame. In this article review, I seek to accomplish three things. First, I will offer a concise introduction to the form, content and purpose of this book. Second, I will attend to some of the volume's core claims in greater detail, exploring areas of potential exegetical and theological divergence. And finally, by way of conclusion, I will comment on the work against the backdrop of contemporary studies of Barth's theological ethics.
Response to Paul Nimmo
Authors: McKenny Gerald P.
Published: January 2015

I am grateful to the Scottish Journal of Theology for offering me the opportunity to respond to Paul Nimmo's article review of the The Analogy of Grace, and I am especially grateful to Dr Nimmo for his lucid and accurate overview of the book, his generous comments, and his thoughtful and challenging criticisms. It is an honour to receive this careful and critical attention from the author of Being in Action, a study of Barth's ethics for which I have the highest regard.
Second language phonology at the interface between acoustic and orthographic input
Authors: BASSETTI BENE , ESCUDERO PAOLA , HAYES-HARB RACHEL
Published: January 2015

Recently researchers have become increasingly interested in the influence of orthographic forms on second language (L2) phonology. Orthographic forms (or spellings) represent the sounds and words of a language in writing. L2 learners, in particular those in instructed settings, are simultaneously exposed to the orthographic forms and the phonological forms of the target language. Recent investigations have indicated that orthographic input can affect learners’ phonological development and word learning in their second language in various ways. The availability of L2 orthographic forms in the input to L2 learners can facilitate speech production, perception, and/or word form learning (Escudero, Hayes-Harb, & Mitterer, 2008; Showalter & Hayes-Harb, 2013). It can hinder targetlike acquisition (Bassetti, 2007; Hayes-Harb, Nicol, & Barker, 2010), or it can have mixed effects or no effect at all (Escudero & Wanrooij, 2010; Simon, Chamblessb, & Alvesc, 2010).
The interaction of acoustic and orthographic input in the acquisition of Spanish assibilated/fricative rhotics
Authors: RAFAT YASAMAN
Published: January 2015

There is growing evidence that exposure to orthographic input affects second language phonological acquisition. This study examined the effects of auditory–orthographic interactions on second language assibilated/fricative rhotic productions of 20 naive English speakers of Spanish, with an acoustic–phonetic approach. The participants were assigned to two groups: auditory-only and auditory–orthographic. The results were indicative of a higher rate of both assibilated/fricative rhotics and approximant rhotics in the auditory–orthographic group. In addition, there was evidence that the acoustic input modulated the orthographic effects. However, the auditory-only group produced a higher rate of postalveolar sibilants. These results will be discussed in terms of (a) the salience-enhancing effect of the grapheme  and (b) the overriding effect of orthography.
The role of orthographic input in second language German: Evidence from naturalistic adult learners’ production
Authors: YOUNG-SCHOLTEN MARTHA , LANGER MONIKA
Published: January 2015

A yearlong study of the acquisition of German by three American secondary school students reveals influence of orthographic input on their segmental development in phonology. The three had not been exposed to German prior to the year they spent in Germany, they received little explicit instruction on German, and they were the only native English speakers in their communities. Examination of their production of word-initial
, which is realized as [z] in German but [s] in English, points to influence of the orthographic input they received while interacting with written text as fully matriculated students in German secondary schools. Despite considerable aural input from their standard German-speaking peers, teachers, and host family members over the 12 months of their stay in Germany, the three learners’ production of word-initial
 was typically [s]. Finer-grained analysis using Praat shows variation in voicing, suggesting these learners were also responding to the aural input.
White Man's War, Coloured Man's Labour. Working for the British Army on the Western Front
Authors: Hacker Barton C.
Published: January 2015

The Great War was indeed a world war. Imperial powers like Great Britain drew on their far-flung empires not only for resources but also for manpower. This essay examines one important (though still inadequately studied) aspect of British wartime exigency, the voluntary and coerced participation of the British Empire's coloured subjects and allies in military operations on the Western Front. With the exception of the Indian Army in the first year of the war, that participation did not include combat. Instead coloured troops, later joined by contract labourers, played major roles behind the lines. From 1916 onwards, well over a quarter million Chinese, Egyptians, Indians, South Africans, West Indians, New Zealand Maoris, Black Canadians, and Pacific Islanders worked the docks, built roads and railways, maintained equipment, produced munitions, dug trenches, and even buried the dead. Only in recent years has the magnitude of their contribution to Allied victory begun to be more fully acknowledged. Yet the greatest impact of British labour policies in France might lie elsewhere entirely. Chinese workers seem likely to have carried the virus that caused the Great Flu pandemic of 1918-19, which may have killed more people around the world than the war itself.
Recruitment and Service of Māori Soldiers in World War One
Authors: Fletcher Alison
Published: January 2015

In 1914, most New Zealanders welcomed the opportunity to stand together with the British Empire. Historians have long recognised that for a small country the contribution to the war effort of pakeha New Zealanders was substantial. Much less well recognised is the contribution of Māoris who served at Gallipoli and on the western front. In the face of opposition from within the Māori community and from British High Command, a determined group of Māori leaders argued forcefully for sending Māoris into action. Many young Māori men responded with enthusiasm to the recruitment drive and the First Māori Battalion sailed to Egypt in February 1915. This paper explores the tensions that resonated within the Māori community around the recruitment of Māori men and argues that the debates were shaped by different understandings of nationhood. Māoris who opposed recruitment believed that volunteering to fight in a foreign war distracted Māoris from dealing with the difficulties in their own communities. Conversely those who argued for participation in the war believed that their contribution to the war would lead to utu (justice), and that only by including Māoris as soldiers in fighting units could all New Zealanders claim to belong to an authentic nation.
BAAL/CUP Seminars 2013 / Text Trajectories – Developing dynamic approaches to textual analysis
Authors: Maybin Janet , Lillis Theresa
Published: January 2015

This seminar took place on 19 April, 2013 at the Centre for Language and Communication, Faculty of Language and Education Studies, The Open University. The seminar was coordinated by Janet Maybin and Theresa Lillis and there were 28 participants, including four postgraduate students, from universities in Britain, Belgium and South Africa.
Recent developments in corpus linguistics and corpus-based research / Department of Linguistics and Modern Language Studies at the Hong Kong Institute of Education
Authors: Xie Qin
Published: January 2015

Corpus linguistics has transformed the landscape of empirical research on languages in recent decades. The proliferation of corpus technology has enabled researchers worldwide to conduct research in their own geographical locations with few hindrances. It has become increasingly commonplace for researchers to compile their own corpora for specific research questions or to conduct research on the basis of corpora constructed by other researchers. Moreover, corpus linguistics has become accessible to language teachers, providing ideas, instructions and new opportunities to apply corpus techniques, corpus-based materials and activities in their classrooms (e.g., Bennett 2010; Reppen 2010; Scheffler 2011).
Characterization of highly charged titanium ions produced by nanosecond pulsed laser
Authors: Abbasi S.A. , Hussain M.S. , Ilyas B. , Rafique M. , Dogar A.H. , Qayyum A.
Published: January 2015

In this work, plasma is produced by irradiating a Ti target with 10 ns pulsed Nd:YAG (λ = 1064 nm) laser. The laser fluence at the target was varied in the range of 2–20.3 J/cm2. The ion signal from freely expanding Ti plasma in vacuum was characterized with the help of ion collector and time-of-flight electrostatic energy analyzer. The ion charge state was found to increase with the laser fluence and maximum available ion charge in this fluence range is Ti4+. A correlation between the intensities of various ion charge states was observed, which indicates that higher charge states are most probably produced through stepwise ionization mechanism. It is also observed that charge state distribution of plasma can be controlled by variation of the laser fluence. In addition, energy distribution of ion charge states Tin+ (n = 1–4) is measured by varying back plate voltage of the electrostatic energy analyzer for a fixed laser fluence of 20.3 J/cm2. Ions energy distributions were in the range of 0.36–3.0 keV and the most probable ion energy was found to increase linearly with ion charge state. The estimated equivalent potential at the laser fluence of 20.3 J/cm2 is about 310 V. These results are in good agreement with the predictions of electrostatic model of ion acceleration in laser plasma.
Gesture and speech during shared book reading with preschoolers with specific language impairment
Authors: LAVELLI MANUELA , BARACHETTI CHIARA , FLORIT ELENA
Published: January 2015

This study examined (a) the relationship between gesture and speech produced by children with specific language impairment (SLI) and typically developing (TD) children, and their mothers, during shared book-reading, and (b) the potential effectiveness of gestures accompanying maternal speech on the conversational responsiveness of children. Fifteen preschoolers with expressive SLI were compared with fifteen age-matched and fifteen language-matched TD children. Child and maternal utterances were coded for modality, gesture type, gesture–speech informational relationship, and communicative function. Relative to TD peers, children with SLI used more bimodal utterances and gestures adding unique information to co-occurring speech. Some differences were mirrored in maternal communication. Sequential analysis revealed that only in the SLI group maternal reading accompanied by gestures was significantly followed by child's initiatives, and when maternal non-informative repairs were accompanied by gestures, they were more likely to elicit adequate answers from children. These findings support the ‘gesture advantage’ hypothesis in children with SLI, and have implications for educational and clinical practice.
Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of rotavirus VP7-encoding gene from humans and animals of Northeast India: a relative study of Indian and global isolates
Authors: CHAKRABORTY P. , BARMAN N. N. , SHARMA I.
Published: January 2015

A restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) assay was developed to examine the genetic relationship between 67 (29 Indian, 38 global) rotavirus isolates of human, bovine and porcine neonates. The assay involved direct digestion of RT–PCR amplified VP7 cDNAs with three restriction enzymes (VspI,HaeIII,NlaIV) independently. Forty-eight RFLP patterns were identified for all 67 strains, and of these 20 patterns were associated with Indian isolates. A correlation between the restriction patterns and G type was apparent through deduction of enzyme restriction sites from known sequences. Major G serotypes (G1, G2, G6, G8) with a few mixed types could be differentiated where there was a positive assortment of intrinsic serotypes from multiple host origin, and certain single or combined enzyme profiles were highly dominant in the population. Significant genetic variations were established between global and Indian isolates and none of the RFLP patterns were shared between them. These data suggest that the Indian wild-type rotavirus population is distinguishable based on the VP7 gene, and co-circulation of distinct strains in different hosts is foremost, indicating the possible likelihood of inter-species transmission.
The stability of the feedback negativity and its relationship with depression during childhood and adolescence
Authors: Bress Jennifer N. , Meyer Alexandria , Proudfit Greg Hajcak
Published: January 2015

Feedback negativity (FN) is an event-related potential elicited by monetary reward and loss; it is thought to relate to reward-related neural activity and has been linked to depression in children and adults. In the current study, we examined the stability of FN, and its relationship with depression in adolescents, over 2 years in 45 8- to 13-year-old children. From Time 1 to Time 2, FN in response to monetary loss and in response to monetary gain showed moderate to strong reliability (rs = .64 and .67, respectively); these relationships remained significant even when accounting for related variables. FN also demonstrated high within-session reliability. Moreover, the relationship between a blunted FN and greater depression observed at Time 1 was reproduced at Time 2, and the magnitude of FN at Time 1 predicted depressive symptomatology at Time 2. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that FN and its relationship with depression remain consistent over the course of development, and that FN may prospectively predict later depressive symptomatology. The current results suggest that FN may be suitable as a biomarker of depressive symptoms during adolescence.
Genetic covariance between psychopathic traits and anticipatory skin conductance responses to threat: Evidence for a potential endophenotype
Authors: Wang Pan , Gao Yu , Isen Joshua , Tuvblad Catherine , Raine Adrian , Baker Laura A.
Published: January 2015

The genetic architecture of the association between psychopathic traits and reduced skin conductance responses (SCRs) is poorly understood. By using 752 twins aged 9–10 years, this study investigated the heritability of two SCR measures (anticipatorySCRs to impending aversive stimuli andunconditionedSCRs to the aversive stimuli themselves) in a countdown task. The study also investigated the genetic and environmental sources of the covariance between these SCR measures and two psychopathic personality traits: impulsive/disinhibited (reflecting impulsive–antisocial tendencies) and manipulative/deceitful (reflecting the affective–interpersonal features). For anticipatory SCRs, 27%, 14%, and 59% of the variation was due to genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental effects, respectively, while the percentages for unconditioned SCRs were 44%, 2%, and 54%. The manipulative/deceitful (not impulsive/disinhibited) traits were negatively associated with both anticipatory SCRs (r= –.14,p< .05) and unconditioned SCRs (r= –.17,p< .05) in males only, with the former association significantly accounted for by genetic influences (rg= –.72). Reduced anticipatory SCRs represent a candidate endophenotype for the affective–interpersonal facets of psychopathic traits in males.
Termination in a π-calculus with subtyping
Authors: CRISTESCU IOANA , HIRSCHKOFF DANIEL
Published: January 2015

We present a type system to guarantee termination of π-calculus processes that exploits input/output capabilities and subtyping, as originally introduced by Pierce and Sangiorgi, in order to analyse the usage of channels.

Our type system is based on Deng and Sangiorgi's level-based analysis of processes. We show that the addition of i/o-types makes it possible to typecheck processes where a form oflevel polymorphismis at work. We discuss to what extent this programming idiom can be treated by previously existing proposals. We demonstrate how our system can be extended to handle the encoding of the simply-typed λ-calculus, and discuss questions related to type inference.
The Sharp Threshold for Maximum-Size Sum-Free Subsets in Even-Order Abelian Groups
Authors: BUSHAW NEAL , COLLARES NETO MAURÍCIO , MORRIS ROBERT , SMITH PAUL
Published: January 2015

We study sum-free sets in sparse random subsets of even-order abelian groups. In particular, we determine the sharp threshold for the following property: the largest such set is contained in some maximum-size sum-free subset of the group. This theorem extends recent work of Balogh, Morris and Samotij, who resolved the caseG= ℤ2n, and who obtained a weaker threshold (up to a constant factor) in general.
Combinatorial Structures on van der Waerden sets
Authors: TYROS KONSTANTINOS
Published: January 2015

In this paper we provide two results. The first one consists of an infinitary version of the Furstenberg–Weiss theorem. More precisely we show that every subsetAof a homogeneous treeTsuch that$\frac{|A\cap T(n)|}{|T(n)|}\geqslant\delta,$whereT(n) denotes thenth level ofT, for allnin a van der Waerden set, for some positive real δ, contains a strong subtree having a level set which forms a van der Waerden set.

The second result is the following. For every sequence (mq)q∈ℕof positive integers and for every real 0 < δ ⩽ 1, there exists a sequence (nq)q∈ℕof positive integers such that for everyD⊆ ∪k∏q=0k-1[nq] satisfying$\frac{\big|D\cap \prod_{q=0}^{k-1} [n_q]\big|s}{\prod_{q=0}^{k-1}n_q}\geqslant\delta$for everykin a van der Waerden set, there is a sequence (Jq)q∈ℕ, whereJqis an arithmetic progression of lengthmqcontained in [nq] for allq, such that ∏q=0k-1Jq⊆Dfor everykin a van der Waerden set. Moreover, working in an abstract setting, we may requireJqto be any configuration of natural numbers that can be found in an arbitrary set of positive density.