bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Preoperative assessment of submucous fibroids by three‐dimensional saline contrast sonohysterography
Authors: Mavrelos D. , Naftalin J. , Hoo W. , Ben‐Nagi J. , Holland T. , Jurkovic D.
Published: May 2011

Objective

Submucous fibroids are a common cause of menstrual disturbance that can be treated by hysteroscopic resection. Preoperative patient selection is critical for the success of surgery and it is usually based on hysteroscopic assessment of fibroid protrusion into the uterine cavity. Three‐dimensional saline contrast sonohysterography (3D‐SCSH) provides additional information about the size and location of submucous fibroids, but it has not yet been evaluated for its usefulness in preoperative assessment. The aim of this study was to examine the potential value of various demographic and ultrasound variables for the prediction of successful submucous fibroid resection.

Methods

This was a prospective study of symptomatic women diagnosed with submucous fibroids who underwent 3D‐SCSH prior to hysteroscopic resection. The women's age and parity and fibroid position, diameter, protrusion ratio, size of the intramural component and distance from the internal cervical os were all recorded. The outcome measure was success of a single hysteroscopic resection in achieving a complete excision of the fibroid. Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis using a training set and a testing set were performed to investigate the prediction of successful fibroid resection.

Results

A total of 61 women with 67 fibroids were included in the study. There was a statistically significant difference between women who had complete and those who had incomplete resection in the mean protrusion ratio (67.8 (SD 14.5)% vs. 47.0 (SD 17.8)%; P = 0.001), the median maximum fibroid diameter (24.0 (interquartile range (IQR), 19.0–30.5) mm vs. 45.0 (IQR, 28.8–51.3) mm; P = 0.001) and the median size of the intramural component of the fibroid (8.0 (IQR, 4.0–11.5) mm vs. 16.5 (IQR, 12.5–29.3) mm; P = 0.001). Stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis retained size of intramural component (odds ratio (OR) 0.511), parity (OR 0.002) and fibroid diameter (OR 0.843) as significant independent predictors of a complete fibroid resection. The model had an area under the receiver–operating characteristics curve of 0.975 (SE 0.039) for the training set (n = 39) and 0.864 (SE 0.090) for the testing set (n = 28).

Conclusion

Submucous fibroid protrusion ratio, fibroid diameter and size of the fibroid's intramural component are significantly associated with the likelihood of successful fibroid resection. A logistic regression model can calculate individual probability of complete resection and may improve preoperative counseling of patients. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fetal optic nerve sheath measurement as a non‐invasive tool for assessment of increased intracranial pressure
Authors: Haratz K. , Viñals F. , Lev D. , Feit H. , Ben‐Sira L. , Lerman‐Sagie T. , Malinger G.
Published: May 2011

Objectives

To describe the sonographic technique for assessment of the fetal optic nerve sheath and to report on three fetuses with intracranial lesions and enlarged optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) compared with normal controls matched for gestational age (GA).

Methods

In this cross‐sectional study ONSD was measured sonographically in three fetuses (aged 23, 24 and 35 gestational weeks) with intracranial findings associated with increased intracranial pressure (ICP; dural thrombosis and intracranial tumors) as well as 42 healthy controls matched for GA ± 1 week (aged 22–25 and 34–36 weeks). For fetal eye assessment, transabdominal and transvaginal routes and high‐resolution transducers were used for optimal visualization depending on fetal position. Measurements were made using an axial view at the level of the orbits, with the fetal face positioned towards the transducer. The ONSD was measured 1.5 or 2 mm behind the papilla (depending on GA) in all fetuses. Mean ± 2 SD ONSD of controls were calculated for each GA and compared with data from the three fetuses with intracranial pathology.

Results

In the 42 normal fetuses, ONSD increased from 1.2 mm at 23 weeks to 2.6 mm at 36 weeks. The measurements at 36 weeks correlated well with those observed in newborns. ONSD measurements of the three cases were above mean + 2 SD of values obtained from healthy controls at the same GA and also exceeded values of fetuses that were 1 week older.

Conclusions

Fetal ONSD measurement is feasible using a technique similar to that used in adults and children. ONSD enlargement was observed in all three fetuses with intracranial lesions and may be an early tool with which to diagnose increased ICP. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultrasound in pregnancy and non‐right handedness: meta‐analysis of randomized trials
Authors: Salvesen K. Å.
Published: May 2011

Objective

To study the association between exposure to ultrasound in pregnancy and non‐right handedness in children with available data from randomized trials.

Methods

Follow‐up data of 8865 children aged 8–14 years from three randomized trials on routine ultrasonography at 15–20 weeks' gestation were available. Handedness was assessed through questionnaires to the parents and classified according to five, 10 or 11 questions. Children not classified as right handed were regarded as non‐right handed.

Results

There was a statistically significant increased prevalence of non‐right handedness in ultrasonographically screened children compared with controls (odds ratio (OR) 1.15; 95% CI, 1.03–1.29). The results in subgroups according to gender are consistent with the overall results, with no significant differences between boys and girls. Among boys, the association became stronger when an exploratory analysis according to ultrasound exposure before 19–22 weeks' gestation was done (OR 1.30; 95% CI, 1.10–1.53).

Conclusion

There is a statistically significant—albeit weak—association between ultrasound screening during pregnancy and being non‐right handed later in life. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parameterizations: representing key processes in climate models without resolving them
Authors: McFarlane Norman
Published: May 2011

A basic requirement of climate models is to account for the effects of processes that cannot be represented in spatial or temporal detail because of limitations imposed by resolution or other modeling considerations. Such parameterizations specify an average or expected effect of such processes on the resolved variables. This has traditionally been formulated in a deterministic way in terms of the resolved variables as the mean effect averaged across many realizations of the small scales with the same large‐scale situation, implicitly or explicitly assuming the existence of some equilibrium state as a closure condition. More recently, the uncertainty of such closure assumptions has led to the use of stochastic forms of parameterization, where the required effects on the resolved scale are determined from a set of randomly chosen realizations of unresolved processes that have a known probability of occurrence given the resolved state. Theoretical and practical approaches to parameterization are discussed and illustrated with selected examples. New directions that employ hybrid modeling strategies and stochastic methods to overcome well‐known parameterization difficulties are discussed.WIREs Clim Change2011 2 482–497 DOI: 10.1002/wcc.122

This article is categorized under:

Climate Models and Modeling > Model Components
Needlescopic surgery for liver, gallbladder and spleen diseases
Authors: Tagaya Nobumi , Abe Akihito , Kubota Keiichi
Published: May 2011

Background

We propose that needlescopic surgery (NS) should be considered as a way of improving the esthetic result and post‐operative quality of life of patients and of reducing costs and stress on surgeons, and we have evaluated the results of NS.

Methods

We used NS in 157 patients between May 1998 and December 2010: cholecystectomy in 150 patients, marsupialization of splenic and hepatic cysts in 4 and splenectomy in 3, respectively. Under general anesthesia, one 12‐mm and two or three 2‐ or 3‐mm ports were introduced into the operative field. The specimen was retrieved from the 12‐mm wound using a plastic bag.

Results

The procedures were successfully completed in all patients without conversion to an open procedure. In eight (5.3%) of 150 cholecystectomies a change to 5‐mm instruments was required. The mean operation times and postoperative hospital stays for cholecystectomy, splenectomy, and marsupialization of splenic and hepatic cysts were 80.2 min and 3.2 days, 167 min and 5.6 days, 170 min and 7 days, and 120 min and 7 days, respectively. There were a few perioperative complications. The most important factor for reducing operation time and achieving a low conversion rate is the use of at least one 3‐ or 5‐mm port for the grasping instruments in cholecystectomy. We recognized a residual cyst requiring splenectomy 62 months after marsupialization in one case. Technical points for performing safe procedures on solid organs were: no direct organ mobilization to avoid organ injuries, the rotation of the operating table and the utilization of organ gravity to create a better operative field, the minimum use of the needlescope to perform a safe maneuver and the improvement of bi‐manual technique.

Conclusions

NS is a safe and feasible procedure for achieving minimal invasive surgery. We should consider NS as a first choice to treat operable diseases in this laparoscopic era.
Emerging therapies for neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders ‐ from concept to reality
Authors: Hemsley Kim M. , Hopwood John J.
Published: May 2011

Lysosomal storage disorders are inherited metabolic diseases in which a mutation in a gene encoding a lysosomal enzyme or lysosome‐related protein results in the intra‐cellular accumulation of substrate and reduced cell/tissue function. Few patients with neurodegenerative lysosomal storage disorders have access to safe and effective treatments although many therapeutic strategies have been or are presently being studied in vivo thanks to the availability of a large number of animal models. This review will describe the comparative advancement of a variety of therapeutic strategies through the ‘research pipeline’. Our goal is to provide information for clinicians, researchers and patients/families alike on the leading therapeutic candidates at this point in time, and also to provide information on emerging approaches that may provide a safe and effective treatment in the future. The length of the pipeline represents the significant and sustained effort required to move a novel concept from the laboratory into the clinic.
Exotic thistles increase native ant abundance through the maintenance of enhanced aphid populations
Authors: Lescano María Natalia , Farji‐Brener Alejandro G.
Published: May 2011

Exotic species change the structure and composition of invaded communities in multiple ways, but the sign of their impact on native species is still controversial. We evaluated the effects of the thistlesCarduus thoermeriandOnopordum acanthium—two of the most abundant exotic plant species in disturbed areas of the Patagonian steppe—on the native tending ant assemblage. Exotic thistles showed an increased number of plants with aphids and had greater aphid density than native plants. Since native tending ants were present only in plants with aphids, their abundance was higher in infested thistles than in native plants. Path analyses confirmed that ant activity depended more on aphid density than on thistle traits. Our results suggest that the presence of exotic thistles in disturbed areas of NW Patagonia indirectly benefit the native ant assemblage through the maintenance of an increased aphid population. This illustrates how the impact of exotic on native species can depend on the ecological context.
Network of collaboration among PC members of Brazilian computer science conferences
Authors: Bazzan Ana L. C. , Argenta V. F.
Published: May 2011

The structure, dynamics, and importance of the social network of collaboration among scientists has been already studied, sometimes yielding counter-intuitive conclusions. In this paper we investigate the role played by people who served as PC (Program Committee) members in the network formed by members of the Brazilian computer science community and their co-authors. Some characteristics of such network are compared with those reported in similar studies involving other scientific collaboration networks. As a result, we show that apart from the evidence of Milgram’s phenomenon (six degrees of separation), there is no other community with completely similar patterns (among those used for comparison). This is probably due to the unique characteristics of the target network. For instance, their members do not necessarily interact with each other in terms of co-authorship since they belong to different sub-areas of computer science. There are strong evidences that the clusters in this network are connected by non-Brazilian members. Moreover, nodes with high degrees have little connection to Brazilian authors.
Tensor Structure on Smooth Motives
Authors: Banerjee Anandam
Published: May 2011

Recently, Bondarko constructed a DG category of motives, whose homotopy category is equivalent to Voevodsky's category of effective geometric motives, assuming resolution of singularities. Soon after, Levine extended this idea to construct a DG category whose homotopy category is equivalent to the full subcategory of motives over a base-scheme S generated by the motives of smooth projective S-schemes, assuming that S is itself smooth over a perfect field. In both constructions, the tensor structure requires ℚ-coefficients. In this article, it is shown how to provide a tensor structure on the homotopy category mentioned above, when S is semi-local and essentially smooth over a field of characteristic zero. This is done by defining a pseudo-tensor structure on the DG category of motives constructed by Levine, which induces a tensor structure on its homotopy category.
Rationally trivial torsors in -homotopy theory
Authors: Wendt Matthias
Published: May 2011

In this paper, we show that rationally trivial torsors under split smooth linear algebraic groups induce fibre sequences in-homotopy theory. The results allow geometric proofs of stabilization results for unstable Karoubi-Villamayor K-theories and a description of the second-homotopy group of the projective line.
Strawberry anthocyanin and its association with postprandial inflammation and insulin
Authors: Edirisinghe Indika , Banaszewski Katarzyna , Cappozzo Jack , Sandhya Krishnankutty , Ellis Collin L. , Tadapaneni Ravi , Kappagoda Chulani T. , Burton-Freeman Britt M.
Published: May 2011

The present study investigates the effect of strawberry antioxidants in beverage form on meal-induced postprandial inflammatory and insulin responses in human subjects. Overweight adults (n24) consumed a high-carbohydrate, moderate-fat meal (HCFM) accompanied by either a strawberry or a placebo beverage in a cross-over design. Postprandial changes in plasma anthocyanins, their metabolites, insulin, glucose and inflammatory markers were assessed for 6 h. The postprandial concentrations of pelargonidin sulfate and pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside were significantly increased when the strawberry beverage was consumed concurrently with the HCFM compared with the placebo beverage (P < 0·001). The strawberry beverage significantly attenuated the postprandial inflammatory response as measured by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and IL-6 (P < 0·05) induced by the HCFM. It was also associated with a reduction in postprandial insulin response (P < 0·05). Collectively, these data provide evidence for favourable effects of strawberry antioxidants on postprandial inflammation and insulin sensitivity.
The Time-Varying Systematic Risk of Carry Trade Strategies
Authors: Christiansen Charlotte , Ranaldo Angelo , Söderlind Paul
Published: May 2011

We explain the currency carry trade (CT) performance using an asset pricing model in which factor loadings are regime dependent rather than constant. Empirical results show that a typical CT strategy has much higher exposure to the stock market and is mean reverting in regimes of high foreign exchange volatility. The findings are robust to various extensions. Our regime-dependent pricing model provides significantly smaller pricing errors than a traditional model. Thus, the CT performance is better explained by a time-varying systematic risk that increases in volatile markets, suggesting a partial resolution of the uncovered interest parity puzzle.
Daily cortisol, stress reactivity and psychotic experiences in individuals at above average genetic risk for psychosis
Authors: Collip D. , Nicolson N. A. , Lardinois M. , Lataster T. , van Os J. , Myin-Germeys I.
Published: May 2011

Background

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis abnormalities have been found in patients with a psychotic disorder and first-degree relatives of patients with a psychotic disorder react with subtle increases in non-clinical psychotic experiences and negative emotions in the face of everyday stress. The current study investigated whether HPA axis functioning is altered in individuals at above average genetic risk for psychotic disorder, examining diurnal cortisol profiles, cortisol reactivity to daily stressors and the association between HPA axis activity and subclinical psychotic experiences.

Method

Participants included siblings of patients with a psychotic disorder (n=60) and a healthy comparison group (n=63). The Experience Sampling Method (a structured diary technique) was employed to assess stress, psychotic experiences, negative affect and salivary cortisol repeatedly in the flow of daily life.

Results

Multi-level analyses revealed higher diurnal cortisol levels and heightened cortisol reactivity to negative daily events in siblings compared with controls. Diurnal cortisol slope did not differ between the two groups, but momentary increases in psychotic experiences and negative affect were associated with increased cortisol in the sibling group.

Conclusions

Findings support altered HPA axis activity in individuals at above average genetic risk for psychotic disorder, as evidenced by higher diurnal cortisol levels and increased cortisol reactivity to daily stress. Results also suggest a dynamic association between cortisol secretion and the intensity of psychotic-like experiences and negative emotions in daily life, although the direction of this association remains to be elucidated.
‘I like to go out to be energised by different people’: an exploratory analysis of mobility and wellbeing in later life
Authors: ZIEGLER FRIEDERIKE , SCHWANEN TIM
Published: May 2011

This paper adds to the growing number of studies about mobility and wellbeing in later life. It proposes a broader understanding of mobility than movement through physical space. Drawing on the ‘mobility turn’ in the social sciences, we conceptualise mobility as the overcoming of any type of distance between a here and a there, which can be situated in physical, electronic, social, psychological or other kinds of space. Using qualitative data from 128 older people in County Durham, England, we suggest that mobility and wellbeing influence each other in many different ways. Our analysis extends previous research in various ways. First, it shows that mobility of the self – a mental disposition of openness and willingness to connect with the world – is a crucial driver of the relation between mobility and wellbeing. Second, while loss of mobility as physical movement can and often does affect older people's sense of wellbeing adversely, this is not necessarily so; other mobilities can at least to some extent compensate for the loss of mobility in physical space. Finally, wellbeing is also enhanced through mobility as movement in physical space because the latter enables independence or subjectively experienced autonomy, as well as inter-dependence in the sense of relatively equal and reciprocal social relations with other people.
Continuity and change in older adults' perceptions of out-of-home mobility over ten years: a qualitative–quantitative approach
Authors: MOLLENKOPF HEIDRUN , HIEBER ANNETTE , WAHL HANS-WERNER
Published: May 2011

This research report starts from the assumption that a solely geriatric and transport-related view of out-of-home mobility needs to be extended to incorporate other aspects of perceived and experienced mobility. In particular, our goal is to understand better the stability and change in people's perceptions of out-of-home mobility over ten years. We concentrate on: (a) the subjective meaning of mobility over time, including perceived changes in mobility and perceived reasons for change; (b) trends in satisfaction with various mobility domains; and (c) a case-oriented exploration of inter-individual variation over time. A qualitative–quantitative data-analytic approach was applied to data collected from 82 participants on three occasions over ten years in 1995, 2000 and 2005. The mean age of the sample in 2005 was 75.2 years. The results indicate overall stability in the meaning attached to mobility between 1995 and 2005, while the perceived changes point to major losses in the array of mobility experiences and decreasing satisfaction with mobility opportunities, out-of-home leisure activities and travelling, but in contrast satisfaction with public transport increased. Case studies exemplified the reasons for the pronounced variation in satisfaction with mobility dynamics over time. In conclusion, the findings confirm that out-of-home mobility remains of utmost importance when people move from late midlife into old age.
‘Option recognition’ in later life: variations in ageing in place
Authors: PEACE SHEILA , HOLLAND CAROLINE , KELLAHER LEONIE
Published: May 2011

During the 1970s, American gerontologist M. Powell Lawton and colleagues saw the person–environment system as fundamental to defining the quality of later life. They proposed the environmental docility hypothesis that weighed whether the more competent the person, the less dependent they are on environmental circumstances. This work was later advanced to show that environmental pro-activity, including adaptation, could reinforce control and autonomy. While that theoretical development focused on the micro-environment of accommodation, it can be applied to the macro-environment of community living. This paper, which utilises data from an empirical study ‘Environment and Identity in Later Life’, examines both the micro and macro scales, develops the theoretical content of the person-competence model, considers the complexity of person–environment interaction, and argues that over time some people find that their attachments to particular environments are compromised by declining competence or changes in the environment, or both. The point at which change impacts on an individual's independence and wellbeing is reached when adaptive behaviour cannot rebalance the macro- and micro-environmental press. This point, termed ‘option recognition’, leads to a range of strategic responses including: modification of behaviour or environment; structural support using formal and informal services; and relocation; all of which impact on self-identity.
The myth of independence for older Americans living alone in the Bay Area of San Francisco: a critical reflection
Authors: PORTACOLONE ELENA
Published: May 2011

Remaining at home in older age is generally considered a sign of independence and therefore an important achievement. More than five million Americans aged over 75 years live alone, a number that is destined to increase thanks to advances in longevity. Living alone can allow the expression of one's preferences, but it can also bring out hardships hardly visible to outsiders, especially in an individualistic society such as the United States of America that rewards self-sufficiency. According to the sociologist Rose, in neo-liberal societies citizens have a duty to be free, self-reliant and independent. In this paper, Rose's theory and the political economy perspective serve as frameworks by which to examine how discourses around independence are translated in the experiences of 22 older adults aged over 75 living at home alone in the Bay Area of San Francisco. Participant observation and 41 in-depth interviews from 2006 to 2010 illustrate how being independent can be an essential component of individual identities. The informants' narratives shed light on the impact of policies that facilitate or regulate the moral imperative of independence. The findings underline the need to assess how discourses around independence are translated in minority populations, to promote studies and initiatives on interdependence, and to encourage international comparisons on living alone in older age.
Older adults, falls and technologies for independent living: a life space approach
Authors: BAILEY CATHY , FORAN TIMOTHY G. , NI SCANAILL CLIODHNA , DROMEY BEN
Published: May 2011

This paper draws attention to the need for further understanding of the fine details of routine and taken-for-granted daily activities and mobility. It argues that such understanding is critical if technologies designed to mitigate the negative impacts of falls and fear-of-falling are to provide unobtrusive support for independent living. The reported research was part of a large, multidisciplinary, multi-site research programme into responses to population ageing in Ireland, Technologies for Independent Living (TRIL). A small, exploratory, qualitative life-space diary study was conducted. Working with eight community-dwelling older adults with different experiences of falls or of fear-of-falls, data were collected through weekly life-space diaries, daily-activity logs, two-dimensional house plans and a pedometer. For some participants, self-recording of their daily activities and movements revealed routine, potentially risky behaviour about which they had been unaware, which may have implications for falls-prevention advice. The findings are presented and discussed around four key themes: ‘being pragmatic’, ‘not just a faller’, ‘heightened awareness and blind spots’ and ‘working with technology’. The findings suggest a need to think creatively about how technological and other solutions best fit with people's everyday challenges and needs and of critical importance, that their installation does not reduce an older adult to ‘just a faller’ or a person with a fear-of-falls.
Use of the global positioning system to measure the out-of-home mobility of older adults with differing cognitive functioning
Authors: SHOVAL NOAM , WAHL HANS-WERNER , AUSLANDER GAIL , ISAACSON MICHAL , OSWALD FRANK , EDRY TAMAR , LANDAU RUTH , HEINIK JEREMIA
Published: May 2011

Cognitive impairment manifests in changed out-of-home mobility. Until recently, the assessment of outdoor mobility relied on the reports of family care-givers and institutional staff and used observational approaches, activity monitoring or behavioural checklists. This article presents data for 41 mildly demented, mildly cognitively impaired and healthy men and women aged 64–90 years in Tel-Aviv (Israel) who took part in an interdisciplinary project, SenTra, that is studying the outdoor activities of elderly people using advanced tracking technologies and that involves researchers from geography, social work, gerontology, psychology and medicine. The participants were tracked for 28 consecutive days using a location kit that combined a global positioning system (GPS) with radio frequency identification. The high-resolution spatial and temporal data enabled detailed analysis of the differences in the timing and distance of the participants' daily outdoor mobility patterns. It was found that the spatial range of the mobility of elderly people with cognitive impairment is severely restricted, with most out-of-home time spent in close proximity to their residences. We conclude that GPS is an advanced research tool able to understand out-of-home behaviour better than was possible with previous methods.
Wellbeing, independence and mobility: an introduction
Authors: SCHWANEN TIM , ZIEGLER FRIEDERIKE
Published: May 2011

This paper introduces the theme of the special issue on wellbeing, independence and mobility. We begin with outlining the complexity of each of these notions and then turn towards their interdependence. It is argued that the links between wellbeing, independence and mobility are manifold and contextual in older people's everyday lives: they differ between places, between individuals and across phases in each individual's unique lifecourse. The inherent complexity of those links can be examined fruitfully and understood better if a geographical or environmental analytical perspective is adopted. We also suggest that the interdependence of wellbeing, independence and mobility in later life needs to be understood in the context of neo-liberal governmentality and the creation of particular ways of being and acting for older people. The piece concludes with a brief description of the papers brought together in the special issue.
Artistic representations: Clues to efficient coding in human vision
Authors: GRAHAM DANIEL J. , MENG MING
Published: May 2011

In what ways is mammalian vision—and in particular, human vision—efficiently adapted to its ecology? We suggest that human visual artwork, which is made for the human eye, holds clues that could help answer this question. Paintings are readily perceived as representations of natural objects and scenes, yet statistical relationships between natural images and paintings are nontrivial. Although spatial frequency content is generally similar for art and natural images, paintings cannot reproduce the dynamic range of luminance in scenes. Through a variety of image manipulations designed to alter image intensity distributions and spatial contrast, we here investigate the notion that artists’ representational strategies can efficiently capture salient features of natural images, and in particular, of faces. We report that humans perform near flawless discrimination of faces and nonfaces in both paintings and natural images, even for stimulus presentation durations of 12 ms. In addition, contrast negation and up-down inversion have minimal to no effect on performance for both image types, whereas 1/f noise addition significantly affects discrimination performance for art more than for natural images. Together, these results suggest artists create representations that are highly efficient for transmitting perceptual information to the human brain.
The diffusion of language change in real time: Progressive and conservative individuals and the time depth of change
Authors: Nevalainen Terttu , Raumolin-Brunberg Helena , Mannila Heikki
Published: May 2011

A major issue in the study of language change is the degree to which individual speakers participate in ongoing linguistic changes as these progress over time. In this study, we examine the hypothesis, suggested by research based on the apparent-time model, that in any given period most people are neither progressive nor conservative with regard to ongoing changes, but rather fall between these polarities. Our data come from the Corpus of Early English Correspondence, which spans over 270 years. A computational model was developed to establish which language users were progressive and which conservative with respect to several ongoing changes that progressed in real time between the early 15th and late 17th centuries. The changes studied ranged from morpheme replacements to more abstract structural patterns. Our results indicate that the degree to which language users participated in changes in progress depended on the type of language change analyzed, the stage of development of the change, and the rate of diffusion of the process over time. The model also enabled the identification of groups of leaders of linguistic change in Tudor and Stuart England.
Attitudinal and sociostructural factors and their role in dialect change: Testing a model of subjective factors
Authors: Kammacher Louise , Stæhr Andreas , Jørgensen J. Normann
Published: May 2011

The causation of language change is a problem with a high profile in sociolinguistics. This paper presents two contrasting models of language change: one that is based on sociopsychological factors (Kristiansen & Jørgensen, 2005) and one that rejects them (the Napoleon Principle, Brink & Lund, 1979). In a longitudinal study of individuals' changing pronunciation of the Danishaj-diphthong over 20 years, we test predictions following from the sociopsychologically oriented model. By the mid-1980s, female speakers used moreaj-pronunciations that are associated with high socioeconomic status than did male speakers. However, in guise tests, females revealed a more positive attitude toward speech associated with low socioeconomic status. Our prediction that female speakers would change their speech patterns to include moreaj-pronunciations associated with low socioeconomic status is supported by an analysis of the same female speakers' pronunciations as recorded in the mid-2000s.
Generalised Hele-Shaw flow: A Schwarz function approach
Authors: McDONALD N. R.
Published: May 2011

An equation governing the evolution of a Hele-Shaw free boundary flow in the presence of an arbitrary external potential – generalised Hele-Shaw flow – is derived in terms of the Schwarz functiong(z,t) of the free boundary. This generalises the well-known equation ∂g/∂t= 2∂w/∂z, wherewis the complex potential, which has been successfully employed in constructing many exact solutions in the absence of external potentials. The new equation is used to re-derive some known explicit solutions for equilibrium and time-dependent free boundary flows in the presence of external potentials, including those with singular potential fields, uniform gravity and centrifugal forces. Some new solutions are also constructed that variously describe equilibrium flows with higher order hydrodynamic singularities in the presence of electric point sources and an unsteady solution describing bubbles under the combined influence of strain and centrifugal potential.
OutsideIn(X)Modular type inference with local assumptions
Authors: VYTINIOTIS DIMITRIOS , PEYTON JONES SIMON , SCHRIJVERS TOM , SULZMANN MARTIN
Published: May 2011

Advanced type system features, such as GADTs, type classes and type families, have proven to be invaluable language extensions for ensuring data invariants and program correctness. Unfortunately, they pose a tough problem for type inference when they are used aslocaltype assumptions. Local type assumptions often result in the lack of principal types and cast the generalisation of local let-bindings prohibitively difficult to implement and specify. User-declared axioms only make this situation worse. In this paper, we explain the problems and – perhaps controversially – argue for abandoning local let-binding generalisation. We give empirical results that local let generalisation is only sporadically used by Haskell programmers. Moving on, we present a novel constraint-based type inference approach for local type assumptions. Our system, calledOutsideIn(X), is parameterised over the particular underlying constraint domain X, in the same way as HM(X). This stratification allows us to use a common metatheory and inference algorithm.OutsideIn(X)extends the constraints of X by introducing implication constraints on top. We describe the strategy for solving these implication constraints, which, in turn, relies on a constraint solver for X. We characterise the properties of the constraint solver for X so that the resulting algorithm only accepts programs with principal types, even when the type system specification accepts programs that do not enjoy principal types. Going beyond the general framework, we give a particular constraint solver for X = type classes + GADTs + type families, a non-trivial challenge in its own right. This constraint solver has been implemented and distributed as part of GHC 7.
A note on the genuine Sieve of Eratosthenes
Authors: NYKÄNEN MATTI
Published: May 2011

O'Neill (The genuine Sieve of Eratosthenes. J. Funct. Program. 19(1), 2009, 95–106) has previously considered a functional implementation for the genuine Sieve of Eratosthenes, based on the well-known heap data structure. Here, we develop it further by adapting this data structure to this particular application.
Using CALL in a formal learning context to develop oral language awareness in ESL: an assessment
Authors: Vincent-Durroux Laurence , Poussard Cécile , Lavaur Jean-Marc , Aparicio Xavier
Published: May 2011

French learners at university meet difficulties in the comprehension of oral English. Being in a formal context of language learning, they need to develop language awareness to compensate for insufficient exposure to the English language.

To meet the students’ needs, data was collected in order to pinpoint the main errors made by French learners in listening tasks. The errors were then analyzed and put into perspective with the system of oral English; a connection clearly appeared between the errors and what is barely heard or cannot be heard in reference to written English, hinting at what could cause poor oral comprehension. Three areas of knowledge appeared to be missing in the students’ background: the links between morpho-syntax and phonology, the mastery of phonological data found in dictionaries and the possible recourse to strategies in order to compensate for what has not been heard properly. These issues were addressed in an on-line program designed for non-beginners of English at university.

This paper deals with the assessment of the progress made by users of the program in a formal learning situation. Two groups of learners were considered: students whose major is English, and students for whom the study of English is optional. Two series of tests were implemented, before and after the use of the program. The tests focused on the ability of learners to read IPA transcription, to count syllables in oral English, and to pronounce auxiliaries and prepositions in different contexts.

The results to be discussed establish that the two groups of learners significantly improved their knowledge of oral English. Of particular interest is the fact that, even if the two groups had significantly different knowledge of oral English before using the program, with non-specialists of English having poorer knowledge, the two groups obtain similar results on the post-test, showing greater progress on the part of the non-specialists. All learners appear to improve dramatically their knowledge of IPA and their ability to use it.

The progress measured by the tests was corroborated by other modes of assessment: a survey on the students’ judgment as regards the usefulness of the program, and individual interviews focusing on what the students recall from the content of the program. In the latter, the students used relevant meta-linguistic and meta-cognitive expressions, showing their ability for further progress in developing listening abilities in English as a Second Language (ESL).
A computer assisted method to track listening strategies in second language learning
Authors: Roussel Stéphanie
Published: May 2011

Many studies about listening strategies are based on what learners report while listening to an oral message in the second language (Vandergrift, 2003; Graham, 2006). By recording a video of the computer screen while L2 learners (L1 French) were listening to an MP3-track in German, this study uses a novel approach and recent developments in computer technology to examine objectively what learners do while listening. The videos of the participants’ screens show the movements of the mouse and its time-course, and therefore the pauses and the backward or forward movements learners do in order to master their listening task. In this study, “self-regulation” indicates the capacity of the listener to exercise physical control over the listening input by using the mouse. Our point is that the recorded physical movements of the mouse during the listening task are a good indicator of metacognitive activity. This is independent of what the learner reports. The data and the time-courses of the mouse were then analyzed, from both a psycholinguistic and a linguistic point of view. This enabled us, on the one hand, to define a typology of listening strategies depending on the initial level of the participants and to show that, on the whole, the opportunity to have personal control over information input/intake does improve all the learners’ information processing. On the other hand, tracking the movements of the mouse while a learner individually listens to an oral text on a computer also has a methodological interest and equally allowed us to verify some precise research hypotheses about the links between linguistic features, for example, place of German compounds and final position of the verb in a subordinate clause, self-regulation strategies and comprehension.
A study of a multimedia web annotation system and its effect on the EFL writing and speaking performance of junior high school students
Authors: Hwang Wu-Yuin , Shadiev Rustam , Huang Szu-Min
Published: May 2011

The aim of this study was to improve students’ English as Foreign Language (EFL) writing and speaking performance with appropriate learning activity design supported by Virtual Pen (VPen), a multimedia web annotation system. Students’ perceptions toward using VPen and learningactivities, attitude toward using VPen, actual VPen usage and their relationships were also investigated. After the experiment the students perceived that VPen was easy to use and useful during learning activities, and generally had a positive attitude toward using VPen. Furthermore, the students believed that learning activities were ‘playful’ and useful for improving writing and speaking performance. Further investigation revealed that the students’ actual VPen usage had a significant correlation with speaking and writing performance and that students’ speaking and writing performance significantly correlated with learning achievement. Based on our findings, we conclude that designed learning activities supported by the VPen system could facilitate students’ writing and speaking performance and therefore improve their learning achievement.
The Illusory Beliefs Inventory: A New Measure of Magical Thinking and its Relationship with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Authors: Kingdon Bianca L. , Egan Sarah J. , Rees Clare S.
Published: May 2011

Background:Magical thinking has been proposed to have an aetiological role in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).Aims:To address the limitations of existing measures of magical thinking we developed and validated a new 24-item measure of magical thinking, the Illusory Beliefs Inventory (IBI).Method:The validation sample comprised a total of 1194 individuals across two samples recruited via an Internet based survey.Results:Factor analysis identified three subscales representing domains relevant to the construct of magical thinking: Magical Beliefs, Spirituality, and Internal State and Thought Action Fusion. The scale had excellent internal consistency and evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. Evidence of criterion-related concurrent validity confirmed that magical thinking is a cognitive domain associated with OCD and is largely relevant to neutralizing, obsessing and hoarding symptoms.Conclusions:It is important for future studies to extend the evidence of the psychometric properties of the IBI in new populations and to conduct longitudinal studies to examine the aetiological role of magical thinking.
Social, attitudinal and behavioural correlates of fruit and vegetable consumption among Cypriot adolescents
Authors: Loucaides Constantinos A , Jago Russell , Theophanous Maria
Published: May 2011

Objective

To examine the prevalence and correlates of fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption in Cypriot adolescents.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

The Republic of Cyprus.

Subjects

A total of 1966 adolescents with a mean age of 14·7 (sd2·2) years from nine elementary (n448), six middle (n657), five high (n475) and five technical/vocational schools (n386) in Cyprus. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing FV consumption using a two-item screening measure and a number of social, attitudinal and behavioural correlates of FV consumption.

Results

Overall, 19·3 % of adolescents reported consuming five or more portions of FV daily, with elementary and middle school students more likely to meet recommendations (23·8 % and 24·4 %, respectively) compared with high and technical/vocational school students (14·0 % and 12·5 %, respectively). Consuming five or more portions of FV was associated with preference for FV (OR = 2·2), family eating patterns (OR = 1·5), friends’ FV consumption (OR = 1·2) and school support for FV consumption (OR = 0·8). Consuming at least one portion of fruit daily was significantly associated with preference for FV (OR = 2·0) and family eating patterns (OR = 1·7). Consuming at least one portion of vegetables daily was associated with preference for FV (OR = 4·2) and eating while watching television (OR = 0·8).

Conclusions

Targeting individual and family-based components may enhance the effectiveness of intervention programmes to promote FV consumption.
Choosing front-of-package food labelling nutritional criteria: how smart were ‘Smart Choices’?
Authors: Roberto Christina A , Bragg Marie A , Livingston Kara A , Harris Jennifer L , Thompson Jackie M , Seamans Marissa J , Brownell Kelly D
Published: May 2011

Objective

The ‘Smart Choices’ programme was an industry-driven, front-of-package (FOP) nutritional labelling system introduced in the USA in August 2009, ostensibly to help consumers select healthier options during food shopping. Its nutritional criteria were developed by members of the food industry in collaboration with nutrition and public health experts and government officials. The aim of the present study was to test the extent to which products labelled as ‘Smart Choices’ could be classified as healthy choices on the basis of the Nutrient Profile Model (NPM), a non-industry-developed, validated nutritional standard.

Design

A total of 100 packaged products that qualified for a ‘Smart Choices’ designation were sampled from eight food and beverage categories. All products were evaluated using the NPM method.

Results

In all, 64 % of the products deemed ‘Smart Choices’ did not meet the NPM standard for a healthy product. Within each ‘Smart Choices’ category, 0 % of condiments, 8·70 % of fats and oils, 15·63 % of cereals and 31·58 % of snacks and sweets met NPM thresholds. All sampled soups, beverages, desserts and grains deemed ‘Smart Choices’ were considered healthy according to the NPM standard.

Conclusions

The ‘Smart Choices’ programme is an example of industries’ attempts at self-regulation. More than 60 % of foods that received the ‘Smart Choices’ label did not meet standard nutritional criteria for a ‘healthy’ food choice, suggesting that industries’ involvement in designing labelling systems should be scrutinized. The NPM system may be a good option as the basis for establishing FOP labelling criteria, although more comparisons with other systems are needed.