bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Diagonal limit for conformal blocks in d dimensions
Authors: Hogervorst Matthijs , Osborn Hugh , Rychkov Slava
Published: August 2013

Abstract

Conformal blocks in any number of dimensions depend on two variables z,
$ \overline{z} $
. Here we study their restrictions to the special “diagonal” kinematics
$ z=\overline{z} $
, previously found useful as a starting point for the conformal bootstrap analysis. We show that conformal blocks on the diagonal satisfy ordinary differential equations, third-order for spin zero and fourth-order for the general case. These ODEs determine the blocks uniquely and lead to an efficient numerical evaluation algorithm. For equal external operator dimensions, we find closed-form solutions in terms of finite sums of 3
F
2 functions.
Substitutable habitats? The biophysical and anthropogenic drivers of an exotic bird’s distribution
Authors: Davis Amélie Y. , Malas Nur , Minor Emily S.
Published: August 2013

The spread and distribution of exotic species depends on a number of factors, both anthropogenic and biophysical. The importance of each factor may vary geographically, making it difficult to predict where a species will spread. In this paper, we examine the factors that influence the distribution of monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus), a parrot native to South America that has become established in the United States. We use monk parakeet observations gathered from citizen-science datasets to inform a series of random forest models that examine the relative importance of biophysical and anthropogenic variables in different regions of the United States. We find that while the distribution of monk parakeets in the southern US is best explained by biophysical variables such as January dew point temperature and forest cover, the distribution of monk parakeets in the northern US appears to be limited to urban environments. Our results suggest that monk parakeets are unlikely to spread outside of urban environments in the northern United States, as they are not adapted to the climatic conditions in that region. We extend the notion of “substitutable habitats,” previously applied to different habitats in the same landscape, to exotic species in novel landscapes (e.g., cities). These novel landscapes provide resources and environmental conditions that, although very different from the species’ native habitat, still enable them to become established. Our results highlight the importance of understanding the regionally-specific factors that allow an exotic species to become established, which is key to predicting their expansion beyond areas of introduction.
Using a Strong Anion‐Exchange Resin to Deacidify Red Palm Oil
Authors: Cuevas Maitê S. , Deboni Taiana M. , Mielke Neto Paulo , Damasceno Fabiolla S. , Mota Rafael V. , da Silva Luiza H. M. , Rodrigues Christianne E. C. , Meirelles Antonio J. A.
Published: August 2013

This work aims to evaluate the use of an alternative process to deacidify palm oil using a strong anion‐exchange resin (Amberlyst A26 OH). The effects of the feed flow rate and the free fatty acids content in the feed stream were investigated by measuring breakthrough curves for bleached palm oil dissolved in n‐propanol. The resin had sufficient capacity and affinity to remove palmitic and oleic acids (98–99 %). The bed utilization efficiency can be optimized by choosing lower flow rates for oils with low levels of acidity, while higher flow rates can be used for oils with higher free fatty acids content. The ion‐exchange process can be used to obtain deacidified red palm oil, while preserving carotenoid and tocopherol/tocotrienol content. This alternative process has the advantage of occurring under mild conditions (44.0 ± 0.8 °C and atmospheric pressure) when compared with the conditions used in molecular distillation (150.0–170.0 °C and 2.7–3.3 Pa).
Oxidative Stability and Sensory Attributes of Fermented Milk Product Fortified with Fish Oil and Marine Phospholipids
Authors: Lu F. S. H. , Thomsen B. R. , Hyldig G. , Green‐Petersen D. M. B. , Nielsen N. S. , Baron C. P. , Jacobsen C.
Published: August 2013

Marine phospholipids (PL) are potential ingredients for food fortification due to its numerous advantages. The main objective of this study was to investigate whether a fermented milk product fortified with a mixture of marine PL and fish oil had better oxidative stability than a fermented milk product fortified with fish oil alone. Fortification of a fermented milk product with marine PL was performed by incorporating 1 % w/w lipids, either in the form of neat oil or in the form of a pre‐emulsion. Lipid oxidation was investigated in the neat emulsions and fortified products by the measurements of primary, secondary volatile oxidation products and tocopherol content upon 32 days storage at 2 °C and 28 days storage at 5 °C, respectively. Analyses of particle size distribution, viscosity and microbial growth were also performed. In addition, sensory attributes such as sour, fishy and rancid flavor/odor were evaluated in fortified products by a trained panel. The results obtained showed that incorporation of a mixture of marine PL and fish oil into fermented milk products decreased the oxidative stability and sensory quality of fortified products. The pH‐dependent behavior of iron seemed to be the main factor that influenced the lipid oxidation in the marine PL emulsion and fermented milk system. In addition, both oxidative stability and sensory acceptability of fortified products varied depending on the quality of the marine PL used for fortification.
Mechanized metatheory for a $$\lambda $$-calculus with trust types
Authors: Ribeiro Rodrigo , Figueiredo Lucília , Camarão Carlos
Published: August 2013

As computer programs become increasingly complex, techniques for ensuring trustworthiness of information manipulated by them become critical. In this work, we use the Coq proof assistant to formalise a

$$\lambda $$

λ

-calculus with trust types, originally formulated by Ørbæk and Palsberg. We give formal proofs of type soundness, erasure and simulation theorems and also prove decidability of the typing problem. As a result of our formalisation a certified type checker is derived.
In Silico Proteome-Wide Amino aCid and Elemental Composition (PACE) Analysis of Expression Proteomics Data Provides A Fingerprint of Dominant Metabolic Processes
Authors: Good David M. , Mamdoh Anwer , Budamgunta Harshavardhan , Zubarev Roman A.
Published: August 2013

Proteome-wide Amino aCid and Elemental composition (PACE) analysis is a novel and informative way of interrogating the proteome. The PACE approach consists of in silico decomposition of proteins detected and quantified in a proteomics experiment into 20 amino acids and five elements (C, H, N, O and S), with protein abundances converted to relative abundances of amino acids and elements. The method is robust and very sensitive; it provides statistically reliable differentiation between very similar proteomes. In addition, PACE provides novel insights into proteome-wide metabolic processes, occurring, e.g., during cell starvation. For instance, both Escherichia coli and Synechocystis down-regulate sulfur-rich proteins upon sulfur deprivation, but E. coli preferentially down-regulates cysteine-rich proteins while Synechocystis mainly down-regulates methionine-rich proteins. Due to its relative simplicity, flexibility, generality and wide applicability, PACE analysis has the potential of becoming a standard analytical tool in proteomics.
Ethical Considerations for Effective Health Human Resources Planning and Management
Authors: Bourgeault Ivy Lynn
Published: August 2013

This paper maps out some of the ethical issues associated with effective Health Human Resources (HHR) planning and management. The key HHR topics of ethical recruitment and retention are highlighted drawing upon an ethics framework that emphasizes the principle of transnational justice. The key take-home messages are as follows: (1) ethical recruitment of health workers from other jurisdictions needs to acknowledge the effect their recruitment has on the region, province, or country they leave behind and (2) an ethical approach to HHR management requires more attention be paid to deploying existing domestic HHR to their full scope. This would include but not be limited to non-practising internationally educated health professionals already in Canada.
Temperature and Microstructures Dependent Thermal Shock Resistance Models for Ultra-High-Temperature Ceramics Considering Effect of Residual Stress
Authors: Wang R. Z. , Ai S. G. , W. G. Li  , Zheng J. , Zhang C. Z.
Published: August 2013

Based on the researches on the temperature and microstructures dependent fracture strength and temperature dependent thermal shock resistance, the new thermal shock resistance models for ultra-high-temperature ceramics were proposed. The effect of density on the fracture strength of material was investigated. A damage term was introduced to reveal the effects of uncertain factors on fracture strength. The roles of residual stress and microstructure sizes at different initial thermal shock temperatures in the thermal shock resistance were studied using the models. The study showed that the models can reveal the relationships among the residual stress, microstructure sizes and the temperature dependent thermal shock resistance well. The better thermal shock resistance is found for ultra-high-temperature ceramics having small SiC grains and relatively large micro-cracks around SiC grains. Large enhancement in thermal shock resistance can be achieved through our studies.
SPEED GOVERNORS: ROAD SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURAL OVERLOAD IN POST-COLONIAL KENYA, c. 1963–2013
Authors: Lamont Mark
Published: August 2013

In this article, I focus on the place of road safety in Kenyan legislative history since independence in 1963 as a way of illustrating the analytic value of speed for the anthropology of the state. Road safety, a highly visible public concern in Kenya since the 1960s, offers us a way to rethink the temporal dangers and uncertainties of automotive travel under global capitalism, but also to go further in seeking out historical continuities in Kenya's post-colonial aspirations for safer and more efficient roads. This focus on road safety takes us from Africanization, in the 1960s and 1970s, to the regulatory reforms of the 1990s and 2000s in the guise of neo-liberalism. From the vociferous complaints and debates of Kenyan politicians about imported Peugeots being dangerous to drive on Kenya's rough and sparsely tarmacked roads in 1964, to the much publicized traffic crackdown of 2003, the so-called ‘Michuki Rules’, road safety is a field of study ideally suited to the analysis of infrastructural power and its transformations and continuities over a four-decade period. What is of analytic interest here is the new value of speed in an East African region that has aggressively embraced automobility as a vehicle for enhancing state sovereignty in a globalized economy.
Explaining Rape during Civil War: Cross-National Evidence (1980–2009)
Authors: COHEN DARA KAY
Published: August 2013

Why do some armed groups commit massive wartime rape, whereas others never do? Using an original dataset, I describe the substantial variation in rape by armed actors during recent civil wars and test a series of competing causal explanations. I find evidence that the recruitment mechanism is associated with the occurrence of wartime rape. Specifically, the findings support an argument about wartime rape as a method of socialization, in which armed groups that recruit by force—through abduction or pressganging—use rape to create unit cohesion. State weakness and insurgent contraband funding are also associated with increased wartime rape by rebel groups. I examine observable implications of the argument in a brief case study of the Sierra Leone civil war. The results challenge common explanations for wartime rape, with important implications for scholars and policy makers.
“All America Is a Prison”: The Nation of Islam and the Politicization of African American Prisoners, 1955–1965
Authors: COLLEY ZOE
Published: August 2013

This article examines the rise of the Nation of Islam (NOI) within America's penal system during the late 1950s and the 1960s. In doing so, it explores the reasons for the NOI's appeal among African American prisoners, its contribution to the politicization of those prisoners, the responses of penal, state and federal authorities to the proliferation of prison mosques, and the way in which imprisoned Black Muslims' campaign for freedom of religious expression established the legal groundwork for the prisoners' rights movement of the late 1960s and the 1970s. This research presents the prison as a locus of black protest and the African American prisoner as an important, but largely overlooked, actor within the black freedom struggle. It calls upon historians to recognize the importance of the prison as both a site and a symbol of black resistance during the post-World War II period.
Land restitution, traditional leadership and belonging: defining Barokologadi identity
Authors: Turner Robin L.
Published: August 2013

How do government policies and practices affect struggles over collective identity and struggles over land? Examining the interconnections among collective identity struggles, land struggles and state policies and practices in post-apartheid South Africa, this paper argues that the government's contradictory policies and ambivalent practices have aggravated collective struggles over the boundaries of belonging. Specifically, the differing definitions of community set forth in traditional leadership, land tenure and land restitution policies exacerbate existing divisions among ‘communities’ concurrently subject to these policies and create practical policy dilemmas for decision-makers. This paper illustrates the interplay between public policies and collective identity struggles through close examination of struggles among the Barokologadi ba ga Maotwe, a so-called traditional community. The Barokologadi case underscores the necessity of attending to these interactions.
Seventy-Five Years
Authors: Moran Dennis Wm
Published: August 2013

January 1939, the eve of World War Two, Waldemar Gurian and several of his colleagues, after months of meetings and negotiations, published the first issue of the Review of Politics. It realized a project dear to the hearts of Gurian and the others who had felt the need for a journal with a new blend of ideas. Tucked away on the inside back cover of that first issue and every issue for many years afterward were these simple words: “THE REVIEW OF POLITICS, without neglecting the analysis of institutions and techniques, is primarily interested in the philosophical and historical approach to political realities.” Over the years I have heard several explanations for the brevity and succinctness of the statement. Perhaps it was in keeping with the directness of the times or its war-worried atmosphere. From what I have come to know, however, given the personalities involved in the founding of the journal, this simple and straightforward statement of purpose was, as one of the subsequent editors said, basically what they intended to do.
A Working Democracy: Jane Addams on the Meaning of Work
Authors: Winkelman Joel
Published: August 2013

By exploring Addams's lifelong fascination with work, this essay analyzes the ways in which her understanding of work fundamentally shaped her wider political vision. For Addams, work was the foundation of not only a personal sense of identity, but also a collective democratic character. The workplace had the potential to be the model of a cooperative community, providing a venue for social solidarity and civic reciprocity. By working together, Americans would develop a more cosmopolitan and inclusive politics. In short, the essay argues that Addams's political thought was an attempt to revitalize democracy by giving meaning to work. It concludes by suggesting that her arguments can be applied to many contemporary political problems, and that today's democratic theory and practice would be enlivened by a renewed attention to work.
Utility of Intraindividual Reaction Time Variability to Predict White Matter Hyperintensities: A Potential Assessment Tool for Clinical Contexts?
Authors: Bunce David , Bielak Allison A. M. , Cherbuin Nicolas , Batterham Philip J. , Wen Wei , Sachdev Perminder , Anstey Kaarin J.
Published: August 2013

Intraindividual variability (IIV) refers to reaction time (RT) variation across the trials of a given cognitive task. Little research has contrasted different measures of IIV or assessed how many RT trials are required to provide a robust measure of the construct. We, therefore, investigated three measures of IIV (raw SD, coefficient of variation, and intraindividual SD statistically removing time-on-task effects) in relation to frontal white matter hyperintensities (obtained through structural MRI) in 415 cognitively normal community-dwelling adults aged 44 to 48 years. Results indicated the three IIV measures did not differ greatly in predictions of white matter hyperintensities, although it is possible that time-on-task effects were influential. As few as 20 trials taking approximately 52 s to administer provided a reliable prediction of frontal white matter hyperintensities. We conclude that future work should evaluate the comparative utility of different IIV measures in relation to persons exhibiting clear neuropathology. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–6)
Mixotrophic haptophytes are key bacterial grazers in oligotrophic coastal waters
Authors: Unrein Fernando , Gasol Josep M , Not Fabrice , Forn Irene , Massana Ramon
Published: August 2013

Grazing rate estimates indicate that approximately half of the bacterivory in oligotrophic oceans is due to mixotrophic flagellates (MFs). However, most estimations have considered algae as a single group. Here we aimed at opening the black-box of the phytoflagellates (PFs) <20 μm. Haptophytes, chlorophytes, cryptophytes and pigmented dinoflagellates were identified using fluorescent in situ hybridization or by standard 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. Their fluctuations in abundance, cell size, biomass and bacterivory rates were measured through an annual cycle in an oligotrophic coastal system. On average, we were able to assign to these groups: 37% of the total pico-PFs and 65% of the nano-PFs composition. Chlorophytes were mostly picoplanktonic and they never ingested fluorescently labeled bacteria. About 50% of the PF <20 μm biomass was represented by mixotrophic algae. Pigmented dinoflagellates were the least abundant group with little impact on bacterioplankton. Cryptophytes were quantitatively important during the coldest periods and explained about 4% of total bacterivory. Haptophytes were the most important mixotrophic group: (i) they were mostly represented by cells 3–5 μm in size present year-round; (ii) cell-specific grazing rates were comparable to those of other bacterivorous non-photosynthetic organisms, regardless of the in situ nutrient availability conditions; (iii) these organisms could acquire a significant portion of their carbon by ingesting bacteria; and (iv) haptophytes explained on average 40% of the bacterivory exerted by MFs and were responsible for 9–27% of total bacterivory at this site. Our results, when considered alongside the widespread distribution of haptophytes in the ocean, indicate that they have a key role as bacterivores in marine ecosystems.
Aetiologies of Central Nervous System infections in adults in Kathmandu, Nepal: A prospective hospital-based study
Authors: Giri Abhishek , Arjyal Amit , Koirala Samir , Karkey Abhilasha , Dongol Sabina , Thapa Sudeep Dhoj , Shilpakar Olita , Shrestha Rishav , van Tan Le , Thi Thuy Chinh Bkrong Nguyen , Krishna K. C. Radheshyam , Pathak Kamal Raj , Shakya Mila , Farrar Jeremy , Van Doorn H. Rogier , Basnyat Buddha
Published: August 2013

We conducted a prospective hospital based study from February 2009-April 2011 to identify the possible pathogens of central nervous system (CNS) infections in adults admitted to a tertiary referral hospital (Patan Hospital) in Kathmandu, Nepal. The pathogens of CNS infections were confirmed in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) using molecular diagnostics, culture (bacteria) and serology. 87 patients were recruited for the study and the etiological diagnosis was established in 38% (n = 33). The bacterial pathogens identified were Neisseria meningitidis (n = 6); Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 5) and Staphylococcus aureus (n = 2) in 13/87(14%). Enteroviruses were found in 12/87 (13%); Herpes Simplex virus (HSV) in 2/87(2%). IgM against Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) was detected in the CSF of 11/73 (15%) tested samples. This is the first prospective molecular and serology based CSF analysis in adults with CNS infections in Kathmandu, Nepal. JEV and enteroviruses were the most commonly detected pathogens in this setting.
The Relationship Between Parent Report of Adaptive Behavior and Direct Assessment of Reading Ability in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Arciuli Joanne , Stevens Kirsten , Trembath David , Simpson Ian Craig
Published: August 2013

Purpose

This study was designed to shed light on the profile of reading ability in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A key aim was to examine the relationship between parent report of adaptive behavior and direct assessment of reading ability in these children.

Method

The authors investigated children's reading ability using the Wide Range Achievement Test—Fourth Edition (Wilkinson & Robertson, 2006) and the Neale Analysis of Reading Ability—Third Edition (Neale, 2007). Parent report data was collected using the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales—Second Edition (Sparrow, Cicchetti, & Balla, 2005). Participants were 21 children with ASD (6–11 years) and their primary caregivers.

Results

Direct assessment of children's reading ability showed that some children with ASD have difficulty learning to read and exhibit particular weaknesses in comprehension. The results revealed positive relationships between Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales scores in the Adaptive Communication domain and direct assessment of children's reading ability across 3 measures of reading (word-level accuracy, passage-level accuracy, and passage-level comprehension).

Conclusions

Although literacy levels vary among children with ASD, some clearly struggle with reading. There is a significant relationship between parent self-report of adaptive behavior and direct assessment of children's reading ability.
Early Predictors of Language and Social Communication Impairments at Ages 9–11 Years: A Follow-Up Study of Early-Referred Children
Authors: Chiat Shula , Roy Penny
Published: August 2013

Purpose

In this study, the authors aimed to evaluate hypotheses that early sociocognition will predict later social communication and early phonology will predict later morphosyntax in clinically referred preschoolers.

Method

Participants were 108 children ages 9–11 years who had been referred to clinical services with concerns about language at age 2½–3½ years. Predictors at Time 1 (T1) were measures of sociocognition, word/nonword repetition, and receptive language. Outcome measures at Time 3 (T3) included a social communication questionnaire completed by parents and tests of nonword repetition, morphosyntax, and receptive language.

Results

Group- and case-level analyses revealed early sociocognition to be the strongest predictor of social communication problems, which by T3 affected almost one third of the sample. At the group level, early phonology, which was a significant problem for the majority of children at T1, was a weak predictor of morphosyntax at T3. However, at the case level the majority of children with poor morphosyntax and nonword repetition at outcome had had very low repetition scores at T1.

Conclusions

In early language referrals, it is important to identify and address sociocognitive problems, a considerable risk for later social communication and autism spectrum disorders. The majority of early-referred children had phonological problems, often severe, but these require further investigation to determine their longer term significance for language.
Orexin-neuromodulated cerebellar circuit controls redistribution of arterial blood flows for defense behavior in rabbits
Authors: Nisimaru Naoko , Mittal Chetan , Shirai Yoshinori , Sooksawate Thongchai , Anandaraj Prabu , Hashikawa Tsutomu , Nagao Soichi , Arata Akiko , Sakurai Takeshi , Yamamoto Miyuki , Ito Masao
Published: August 2013

We investigated a unique microzone of the cerebellum located in folium-p (fp) of rabbit flocculus. In fp, Purkinje cells were potently excited by stimulation of the hypothalamus or mesencephalic periaqueductal gray, which induced defense reactions. Using multiple neuroscience techniques, we determined that this excitation was mediated via beaded axons of orexinergic hypothalamic neurons passing collaterals through the mesencephalic periaqueductal gray. Axonal tracing studies using DiI and biotinylated dextran amine evidenced the projection of fp Purkinje cells to the ventrolateral corner of the ipsilateral parabrachial nucleus (PBN). Because, in defense reactions, arterial blood flow has been known to redistribute from visceral organs to active muscles, we hypothesized that, via PBN, fp adaptively controls arterial blood flow redistribution under orexin-mediated neuromodulation that could occur in defense behavior. This hypothesis was supported by our finding that climbing fiber signals to fp Purkinje cells were elicited by stimulation of the aortic nerve, a high arterial blood pressure, or a high potassium concentration in muscles, all implying errors in the control of arterial blood flow. We further examined the arterial blood flow redistribution elicited by electric foot shock stimuli in awake, behaving rabbits. We found that systemic administration of an orexin antagonist attenuated the redistribution and that lesioning of fp caused an imbalance in the redistribution between active muscles and visceral organs. Lesioning of fp also diminished foot shock-induced increases in the mean arterial blood pressure. These results collectively support the hypothesis that the fp microcomplex adaptively controls defense reactions under orexin-mediated neuromodulation.
The critical period and parameter setting in five cases of delayed L1 acquisition
Authors: Patkowski Mark
Published: August 2013

Three well-known cases of extreme linguistic isolation during childhood and two recent cases from the neurological literature involving left-hemispherectomy in children are examined. In all five situations, subjects underwent delayed L1 acquisition (with L1 onset ranging from 5 to 31 years). “End-state” utterances provided in published reports are analyzed for evidence concerning subjects’ control of the Head Position, Null Subject, and Wh parameters. In addition, the early phrasal development of a subset of the five subjects is investigated in terms of the asymmetric Merge operation. Findings concerning ultimate attainment indicate that the younger cases set parameters more successfully, and that performance declines markedly with increasing age, while results regarding early multiword utterances suggest that these are strikingly “normal” as long as delayed onset of L1 occurs within, and right up to, the critical period boundary. This pattern, it is argued, is consistent with the notion that pre- and post-critical period first language learning involve qualitatively different processes.
Metalinguistic awareness in children with differing language learning experience
Authors: Tellier Angela , Roehr-Brackin Karen
Published: August 2013

Theoretical research concerned with the notion of second language (L2) learning difficulty has resulted in specific criteria that can be used to predict the learning difficulty of different languages in terms of both explicit and implicit knowledge. The characteristics of the constructed language Esperanto suggest that this language has lower explicit and implicit learning difficulty than other languages. It may therefore be a suitable ‘starter language’ for child L2 learning in the classroom. Specifically, we propose that Esperanto may facilitate the development of metalinguistic awareness and, as a consequence, boost children’s budding capacity for explicit learning. This would be particularly advantageous in the minimal-input setting of the average foreign language classroom. We present findings from an empirical study which compared 11 to 12-year-old English-speaking children who had learned Esperanto and a European L2 (N = 35) with children who had learned various combinations of European and non-European L2s (N = 168) in terms of their performance on a measure of metalinguistic awareness. No significant differences in overall level of metalinguistic awareness were identified, but the Esperanto group significantly outperformed the comparison group on one of the eleven metalinguistic tasks included in the measure. Moreover, the Esperanto group displayed a more homogeneous performance than the other groups of children. This suggests that learning Esperanto may have a lasting levelling effect, reducing differences between children with varying metalinguistic abilities.
Methods for studying the acquisition of a new language under controlled input conditions
Authors: Dimroth Christine , Rast Rebekah , Starren Marianne , Watorek Marzena
Published: August 2013

Abstract
Initial processing of morphological marking in nonnative language acquisition
Authors: Hinz Johanna , Krause Carina , Rast Rebekah , Shoemaker Ellenor M. , Watorek Marzena
Published: August 2013

This paper addresses the question of how learners break into a novel morpho-syntactic system, extract elements of this new system from the input they receive, process them, and begin to acquire the new system. The data for this project were collected as part of a large European project (VILLA – Varieties of Initial Learners in Language Acquisition) comparing the processes of perception, comprehension, and production during the acquisition of a novel target language (Polish) in adults of different source languages within the first hours of instruction under controlled input conditions. Two experiments, a grammaticality judgment task and an oral question-answer task, were conducted longitudinally to investigate learners’ perception and use of Polish nominal morphology in two groups of adults (French and German native speakers) after 4.5 hours and after 10.5 hours of instruction. In addition to contributing new insights into the role of the source language in the initial stages of acquisition, results speak to the influence of overall exposure to the input, and reveal interesting interactions between factors such as the frequency of a lexical item in the input and its transparency relative to the learner’s source language.
The rise of ‘subordination features’ in the history of Greek and their decline
Authors: Fykias Ioannis , Katsikadeli Christina
Published: August 2013

This study is a contribution based on Greek material to a field of inquiry that deals with the diachronic development of formal syntactic devices and their interrelationship with the dichotomy between main and subordinate clauses in Indo-European (Kiparsky 1995, Lühr 2008). First, we focus on some devices signaling indirect speech that emerged in Pre-Classical and Classical Greek, such as the development of a system of complementizers (hóti ‘that.COMP’, hōs ‘that.COMP’) and some characteristic usages of moods (the optative of indirect speech). In Post-Classical Greek, this system of traits that had been employed to code indirect speech collapsed, as evidenced by the disappearance of hōs ‘that.COMP’ and the optative of indirect speech as well as the high frequency of pleonastic hóti ‘that.COMP’. Later in the history of Greek a new subordination system arises. We interpret these developments in the light of contemporary syntactic theory (Emonds 2004, 2012), and try to formulate a hypothesis regarding the cycle-like regularities and recurrent patterns that are followed by (clusters of) traits, that is, the “Indirect Speech Traits Cycle”.
Proto-Indo-European verb-finality
Authors: Hock Hans Henrich
Published: August 2013

Although the reconstruction of Proto-Indo-European as verb-final is widely accepted, there continue to be dissenting opinions (e.g. Friedrich 1975). See e.g. Pires & Thomason (2008), who question the fruitfulness of Indo-European syntactic reconstruction. In this article I address two issues: First, the reconstructable subordination strategies, including relative-correlative structures, are perfectly in conformity with verb-final typology — pace Lehmann (1974) and Friedrich (1975) who considered relative clauses with finite verbs and relative pronouns incompatible with SOV. Second, verb-final reconstruction makes it possible to account for prosodic and segmental changes that single out finite verbs, such as the non-accentuation of Vedic finite verbs and i-apocope preferentially targeting finite verbs in Italic, Celtic, and Baltic-Slavic. Both developments find a natural, prosodically motivated explanation if we accept PIE as SOV, but not if we do not accept that reconstruction. These facts show that, pace Pires & Thomason (2008), the reconstruction of PIE as verb-final is a fruitful hypothesis.
Reconstructing passive and voice in Proto-Indo-European
Authors: Kulikov Leonid , Lavidas Nikolaos
Published: August 2013

This article examines various aspects of the reconstruction of the passive in Proto-Indo-European (PIE), foremost on the basis of evidence from the Indo-Aryan (Early Vedic) and Greek branches. In Proto-Indo-European the fundamental distinction within the verbal system is between the active and middle, while specialized markers of the passive are lacking and the passive syntactic pattern is encoded with middle inflection. Apart from the suffix *-i̯(e/o)- (for which we cannot reconstruct a passive function in the proto-language) and several nominal derivatives, we do not find sufficient evidence for specialized passive morphology. The role of the middle (and stative) in the expression of the passive in ancient IE languages raises important theoretical questions and is a testing ground for the methods of syntactic reconstruction. We will examine the contrast between non-specialized and specialized markers of the passive in Early Vedic and Greek. Most Indo-European languages have abandoned the use of middle forms in passive patterns, while Greek is quite conservative and regularly uses middle forms as passives. In contrast, Indo-Aryan has chosen a different, anti-syncretic, strategy of encoding detransitivizing derivational morphology, though with the middle inflection consistently preserved in passive ya-presents. These two branches, Indo-Aryan and Greek, arguably instantiate two basic types of development: a syncretic type found in many Western branches, including Greek, and an anti-syncretic type attested in some Eastern branches, in particular in Indo-Aryan.
Discourse and politics of migration in Italy
Authors: Colombo Monica
Published: August 2013

This introductory essay aims at offering an overview of the historical, demographic and economic dimensions of migration in Italy – as well as of Italian politics and migration-related legislation. Based on statistics, research reports, and existing Italian and international literature on immigration-related issues, the paper highlights the profile of Italy’s migrant groups as well as the role they have been playing in the country’s labour market over time. The paper analyses key migration-related legislation showing that Italian immigration policies have been basically focused on ex post regularizations, control of new legal entries and repression of irregular ones. The increasing criminalization and securitization of immigration supported by right-wing parties and the most relevant features of public debate on immigration in Italy are highlighted.
From gay language to normative discourse
Authors: Baker Paul
Published: August 2013

A corpus of abstracts from the Lavender Languages and Linguistics Conference was subjected to a diachronic keywords analysis in order to identify concepts which had either stayed in constant focus or became more or less popular over time.1 Patterns of change in the abstracts corpus were compared against the Corpus of Contemporary American English (COCA) in order to identify the extent that linguistic practices around language and sexuality were reflected in wider society. The analysis found that conference presenters had gradually begun to frame their analyses around queer theory and were using fewer sexual identity labels which were separating, collectivising and hierarchical in favour of more equalising and differentiating terminology. A number of differences between conference-goers’ language use and the language of general American English were identified and the paper ends with a critical discussion of the method used and the potential consequences of some of the findings.
Expanding the Queer Linguistic scene
Authors: Milani Tommaso M.
Published: August 2013

This paper investigates the relationships between gender, sexuality and space, understood both in material and discursive terms. To this end, it brings under the spotlight Safe Zones, an anti-homophobia campaign spearheaded in 2011 and 2012 by the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa. More specifically, the paper draws upon Queer Linguistics in order to deconstruct a sample of banal sexed signs, produced as part of the campaign. Essentially, the argument is that Safe Zones contributed to changing, albeit fleetingly, the character of university corridors, notice boards and office doors. The campaign brought about a sexed visual environment, one in which the invoking of specific identities went hand in hand with the highlighting of more fluid practices and processes. Because of the multimodal nature of the data, the paper argues for the need for Queer Linguistics to engage with the no less meaningful visual and material properties of public texts.
Speech that silences, silences that speak
Authors: Woolley Susan W.
Published: August 2013

This article questions what happens to “safe space” in classrooms when students are marginalized by their social locations and identities. Based on three years of ethnographic research in a Northern California urban public high school, the author examines how language like “that’s so gay” and “that’s so ghetto” leaves distinct traces of gender, sexuality, race, and class meanings and relations. Drawing on students’ deployment of “that’s so gay” and “that’s so ghetto” in school contexts, this research demonstrates how these expressions marginalize the students that they target. Such speech acts interpellate students’ bodies and identities in an educational environment that strives toward constructing “safe” and “politically correct” space. Complicating the very possibility of such educational goals, this article highlights the violence of performative speech acts while closely examining the thin line between politically correct speech and hate speech, which may look different yet lead to similar results — the violence of silencing.
A Standardized Technique to Back-Calculate Length at Age from Unsectioned Walleye Spines
Authors: Meerbeek Jonathan R. , Hawkins Kimberly A.
Published: August 2013

The primary assumption of using back-calculated length-at-age (BCL) methods to estimate fish growth is that the body length and hard-part radius relationship is linear. Therefore, standardized techniques are required for BCL methods to be comparable over time. Recent studies have found that unsectioned dorsal spines of Sander spp. improve efficiency and provide accurate age estimates. We evaluated a simple, standardized method of using unsectioned Walleye S. vitreus (N = 162) dorsal spines to estimate age and BCL (direct-proportion and Fraser–Lee methods) by comparing these estimates with those of a sectioned spine technique. We validated the technique by comparing observed growth (measured via a mark–recapture study) with BCL growth estimated via sectioned and unsectioned techniques. The time required to process, prepare, view and perform BCL for each of the two techniques was also compared. Both reader age estimates and exact reader agreement rates were significantly better using the sectioned spine technique. Age frequencies varied significantly among readers and techniques as differences ranged up to 8 years. No difference was detected among the slopes of the back-calculation methods among techniques, but there were significant differences in the mean BCL estimates for ages < 10 years old. The relationships between observed growth and growth estimated via BCL methods were significant; however, BCL methods significantly overestimated Walleye growth. Total processing time for the unsectioned technique was significantly less, but based on our poor ability to replicate ages, we do not suggest the use of our standardized unsectioned spine technique to estimate the age or BCL older Walleye. In addition, no BCL method accurately estimated annual growth regardless of technique or reader experience. We conclude that more research is necessary to validate dorsal spine-based BCL estimates on Walleye populations. Once validated, further research evaluating new or modifying our technique for unsectioned Walleye spines needs to be explored.

Received February 14, 2013; accepted June 2, 2013
VX-809 corrects folding defects in cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator protein through action on membrane-spanning domain 1
Authors: Ren Hong Yu , Grove Diane E. , De La Rosa Oxana , Houck Scott A. , Sopha Pattarawut , Van Goor Fredrick , Hoffman Beth J. , Cyr Douglas M.
Published: August 2013

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a fatal genetic disorder associated with defective hydration of lung airways due to the loss of chloride transport through the CF transmembrane conductance regulator protein (CFTR). CFTR contains two membrane-spanning domains (MSDs), two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs), and a regulatory domain, and its channel assembly requires multiple interdomain contacts. The most common CF-causing mutation, F508del, occurs in NBD1 and results in misfolding and premature degradation of F508del-CFTR. VX-809 is an investigational CFTR corrector that partially restores CFTR function in people who are homozygous for F508del-CFTR. To identify the folding defect(s) in F508del-CFTR that must be repaired to treat CF, we explored the mechanism of VX-809 action. VX-809 stabilized an N-terminal domain in CFTR that contains only MSD1 and efficaciously restored function to CFTR forms that have missense mutations in MSD1. The action of VX-809 on MSD1 appears to suppress folding defects in F508del-CFTR by enhancing interactions among the NBD1, MSD1, and MSD2 domains. The ability of VX-809 to correct F508del-CFTR is enhanced when combined with mutations that improve F508del-NBD1 interaction with MSD2. These data suggest that the use of VX-809 in combination with an additional CFTR corrector that suppresses folding defects downstream of MSD1 may further enhance CFTR function in people with F508del-CFTR.
Exploring the role of human miRNAs in virus–host interactions using systematic overlap analysis
Authors: Li Zhenpeng , Cui Xiuliang , Li Fei , Li Peng , Ni Ming , Wang Shengqi , Bo Xiaochen
Published: August 2013

Motivation: Human miRNAs have recently been found to have important roles in viral replication. Understanding the patterns and details of human miRNA interactions during virus–host interactions may help uncover novel antiviral therapies. Based on the abundance of knowledge available regarding protein–protein interactions (PPI), virus–host protein interactions, experimentally validated human miRNA-target pairs and transcriptional regulation of human miRNAs, it is possible to explore the complex regulatory network that exists between viral proteins and human miRNAs at the system level.

Results: By integrating current data regarding the virus–human interactome and human miRNA-target pairs, the overlap between targets of viral proteins and human miRNAs was identified and found to represent topologically important proteins (e.g. hubs or bottlenecks) at the global center of the human PPI network. Viral proteins and human miRNAs were also found to significantly target human PPI pairs. Furthermore, an overlap analysis of virus targets and transcription factors (TFs) of human miRNAs revealed that viral proteins preferentially target human miRNA TFs, representing a new pattern of virus–host interactions. Potential feedback loops formed by viruses, human miRNAs and miRNA TFs were also identified, and these may be exploited by viruses resulting in greater virulence and more effective replication strategies.

Contact:  boxc@bmi.ac.cn or ni.ming@163.com or sqwang@bmi.ac.cn

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Near-infrared spectroscopy of SN 2009ip's 2012 brightening reveals a dusty pre-supernova environment
Authors: Smith Nathan , Mauerhan Jon C. , Kasliwal Mansi M. , Burgasser Adam J.
Published: August 2013

We present low-resolution near-infrared (IR) 0.8–2.5 μm spectra of Supernova (SN) 2009ip, taken immediately before, during and just after its rapid brightening in late September/October 2012. The first epoch shows the same general spectral characteristics as the later epochs (smooth continuum, narrow H and He i emission lines), but the IR continuum shape is substantially redder than the later epochs. The epoch 1 continuum can be approximated by reddening the peak-luminosity (epoch 3) spectrum by E(B − V) = 1.0 mag, but the blue colour seen in visual-wavelength spectra at the same time indicates that strong wavelength-dependent extinction by circumstellar dust is not the correct explanation. Instead, we favour the hypothesis that the redder colour before the brightening arises from excess emission from hot ∼2000 K circumstellar dust. The minimum radius ( ≳ 120 au) deduced from the dust temperature and observed luminosity of the transient, combined with the observed expansion speed in the precursor outbursts of SN 2009ip, is consistent with an ejection at least 1.1 yr earlier. The mass of hot dust indicated by the IR excess is ∼4 × 10−7 M⊙, although this is only a lower limit since the near-IR data do not constrain the mass of cooler dust. Thus, the observed pre-SN outbursts of this object were able to efficiently form dust into which the SN ejecta and radiation now propagate. This is consistent with the notion that the same pre-SN eruptions that generally give rise to SNe IIn also give rise to the dust needed for their commonly observed IR echoes. We also discuss some aspects of the IR line profiles, including He i λ10 830.
Investment Bank Reputation and “Star” Cultures
Authors: Chen Zhaohui , Morrison Alan D. , Wilhelm William J.
Published: August 2013

We develop a model in which individual and institutional reputation concerns conflict with one another to study why investment bank reputation concerns may have diminished in recent years. Unproven but talented bankers have incentive to signal their ability through actions that may or may not best serve their clients. In the spirit of Kreps (1990), we treat the bank as a hierarchical firm whose only asset is its institutional reputation for curbing behavior that is suboptimal for the client. The conflict between individual and institutional reputation concerns is more likely to resolve in favor of institutional reputation when firms recruit only the most talented people, and less so when unique ability is especially valuable. We discuss how technological change has contributed to a “star” culture that is unfavorable toward preservation of institutional reputation.