bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Infant Attention and Early Childhood Executive Function
Authors: Cuevas Kimberly , Bell Martha Ann
Published: May 2013

Individual differences in infant attention are theorized to reflect the speed of information processing and are related to later cognitive abilities (i.e., memory, language, and intelligence). This study provides the first systematic longitudinal analysis of infant attention and early childhood executive function (EF; e.g., working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility). A group of 5‐month‐olds (n = 201) were classified as short or long lookers. At 24, 36, and 48 months of age, children completed age‐appropriate EF tasks. Infant short lookers (i.e., more efficient information processors) exhibited higher EF throughout early childhood as compared to infant long lookers, even after controlling for verbal ability (a potential indicator of intelligence). These findings are discussed in relation to the emergence of executive attention.
Involvement of autoimmunity to REG, a regeneration factor, in patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome
Authors: Yoshimoto K , Fujimoto T , Itaya-Hironaka A , Miyaoka T , Sakuramoto-Tsuchida S , Yamauchi A , Takeda M , Kasai T , Nakagawara K , Nonomura A , Takasawa S
Published: May 2013

The regenerating gene (Reg) was isolated originally as a gene specifically over-expressed in regenerating pancreatic islets and constitute a growth factor family. Reg gene product (Reg) is important in the pathophysiology of various human inflammatory diseases. Recently, the possible involvement of human REG in the regeneration of salivary ductal epithelial cells of patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) was reported. However, the expression of the REG family genes in minor salivary glands (MSG) and the occurrence of anti-REG Iα autoantibodies in SS patients were obscured. In this study, we examined the expression of REG family genes in the MSG of SS and screened anti-REG Iα autoantibodies in SS. The mRNA levels of REG family genes in MSG were quantified using real-time reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT–PCR) and REG Iα expression in the MSG was analysed by immunohistochemistry. The mRNA level of REG Iα in the MSG of SS patients was significantly higher than that of control. REG Iα protein was expressed highly in SS ductal epithelial cells. Anti-REG Iα autoantibodies in the sera were found in 11% of SS. All the MSG in the anti-REG Iα autoantibody-positive group showed REG Iα expression, whereas only 40% showed REG Iα expression in the anti-REG Iα autoantibody-negative group. The anti-REG Iα autoantibody-positive group showed significantly lower saliva secretion and a higher ratio of grade 4 (by Rubin–Holt) in sialography. These data suggest strongly that autoimmunity to REG Iα might play a role in the degeneration of MSG ductal epithelial cells in primary SS.
Neutrophilic myeloid-derived suppressor cells in cord blood modulate innate and adaptive immune responses
Authors: Rieber N , Gille C , Köstlin N , Schäfer I , Spring B , Ost M , Spieles H , Kugel H A , Pfeiffer M , Heininger V , Alkhaled M , Hector A , Mays L , Kormann M , Zundel S , Fuchs J , Handgretinger R , Poets C F , Hartl D
Published: May 2013

Neonates show an impaired anti-microbial host defence, but the underlying immune mechanisms are not understood fully. Myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) represent an innate immune cell subset characterized by their capacity to suppress T cell immunity. In this study we demonstrate that a distinct MDSC subset with a neutrophilic/granulocytic phenotype (Gr-MDSCs) is highly increased in cord blood compared to peripheral blood of children and adults. Functionally, cord blood isolated Gr-MDSCs suppressed T cell proliferation efficiently as well as T helper type 1 (Th1), Th2 and Th17 cytokine secretion. Beyond T cells, cord blood Gr-MDSCs controlled natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity in a cell contact-dependent manner. These studies establish neutrophilic Gr-MDSCs as a novel immunosuppressive cell subset that controls innate (NK) and adaptive (T cell) immune responses in neonates. Increased MDSC activity in cord blood might serve as key fetomaternal immunosuppressive mechanism impairing neonatal host defence. Gr-MDSCs in cord blood might therefore represent a therapeutic target in neonatal infections.
The Inlay Osteotome Sinus Augmentation Technique for Placing Short Implants Simultaneously with Reduced Crestal Bone Height. A Short‐Term Follow‐Up
Authors: Teng Minhua , Liang Xing , Yuan Quan , Nie Jing , Ye Jun , Cheng Qian , Zhai Junjiang , Liao Jian , Sun Xu , Wen Cai , Mo Anchun
Published: May 2013

Objective

To display an inlay technique of osteotome sinus floor elevation using a trephine combined with simultaneous short implant placement where the residual bone height (RBH) is less than 5 mm, as well as to evaluate the clinical effect in a prospective study.

Material and Methods

Fifty short implants were installed in 32 patients in the severely atrophic posterior maxilla immediately after sinus floor elevation between January 2010 and October 2012. An inlay osteotome sinus augmentation technique using a trephine was applied in the operation. The mean residual bone height adjacent to or beneath the sinus was 3.34 mm, ranging from 0.96 mm to 4.96 mm. It was rarely necessary to add graft material from bovine sources in this therapy. With the purpose of bite training and soft tissue reforming, the temporary crowns were fixed after 6 months. The final prostheses were restored 3 months later. The stability and osseointegration of the implants were clinically evaluated, also the bone height gain around the implants was measured.

Results

The survival rate was 100% during the study period with this procedure. Each of the implants, loaded without pain or any subjective sensation, was clinically stable. No implants had detectable sinus membrane perforation during operation. The radiographic results demonstrated that the bone height gain was 5.38 mm after the surgery.

Conclusion

Based on the results and within the limits of the present study, it can be suggested that short implant placement in conjunction with this inlay osteotome sinus augmentation technique could yield predictable clinical results for edentulous posterior maxillary region with RBH less than 5 mm. Besides, from the clinical point of view, these techniques may reduce the indication for complex invasive procedures and simplify treatment in the posterior.
Does Pythium anandrum contribute to the dieback of sessile oak (Quercus petraea) in Turkey?
Authors: Akıllı S. , Ulubaş Serçe Ç. , Katırcıoğlu Y. Z. , Maden S.
Published: May 2013

During investigations into the causes of oak decline in six Regional Forestry Directories of the Black Sea Region of Turkey, Phytophthora spp. were obtained from one region and Pythium spp. were collected from three regions. The most frequently isolated Pythium species, Pythium anandrum, when inoculated on stem bases, caused longer cankers than two isolates of both Phytophthora plurivora and 2 of the P. quercina. This is the first report of Pythium anandrum causing disease on sessile oak. P. anandrum may contribute oak decline in Turkey.
Growth of Slender Banksia from seedling planting, with and without fertiliser
Authors: Grose Peter J.
Published: May 2013

Slender Banksia (Banksia attenuata) is a primary component of declining Banksia woodlands around Perth, south‐western Australia. It is important that its re‐establishment be promoted, but there are little data on its growth rates and response to applied nutrients. To quantify longer‐term growth rate, I periodically measured heights of Slender Banksia planted mid‐2005 over 7½ years. Without fertiliser, these seedlings grew slowly to about 1½ m. In mid‐2009, I planted Slender Banksia on the same site, with and without fertiliser tablets, and evaluated survival, growth and root development over 1½ years. First‐summer Slender Banksia seedling survival of around 30% was not unusual for this species. Low‐phosphorus native plant fertiliser tablets increased growth significantly.
Indicators of biodiversity and carbon storage in remnant and planted vegetation in the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia: lessons for ‘biodiverse’ plantings
Authors: Collard Stuart , Fisher Andrew , Hobbs Trevor , Neumann Craig
Published: May 2013

Planting of woody perennial vegetation for carbon sequestration continues to gain momentum as markets for carbon develop in Australia. With the impetus of the Clean Energy Future package, these plantings have the potential to contribute to biodiversity gains if established and managed appropriately. In this study, we sought to link indicators of biodiversity to carbon storage in remnant vegetation, mixed‐species native revegetation and single‐species eucalypt plantations in the Mount Lofty Ranges (MLR) of South Australia. Native plant species richness was higher in remnant vegetation than in revegetation and plantation sites in the southern MLR, but only remnant and plantation sites were different in the northern MLR. Native bird species richness was higher in remnant than plantation sites, but revegetation sites were similar to both plantation and remnant sites in northern and southern sites. Mean total standing carbon varied across treatments in southern sites, and there were no statistically significant differences in mean carbon sequestration rate between planted treatments. Monoculture plantation sites lack the structural complexity required and offer limited resources for native fauna compared with mixed‐species revegetation or remnant vegetation. This reinforces the importance of carefully constructed incentives to compensate landholders for potential carbon shortfalls if the opportunity for biodiversity gains from carbon plantings is to be realised in the longer term. The value of the standing carbon in remnant vegetation should also be recognised in emerging markets.
Whose backyard? Some precautions in choosing recipient sites for assisted colonisation of Australian plants and animals
Authors: Harris Stephen , Arnall Sophie , Byrne Margaret , Coates David , Hayward Matt , Martin Tara , Mitchell Nicola , Garnett Stephen
Published: May 2013

In cases where assisted colonisation is the appropriate conservation tool, the selection of recipient sites is a major challenge. Here, we propose a framework for site selection that can be applied to the Australian biota, where planning for assisted colonisation is in its infancy. Characteristics that will be important drivers in the decision‐making process include the size of a recipient site, the potential to augment corridors and respond to niche gaps, the maximisation of climatic buffering, bioregional similarity, tenure security, and the minimisation of opportunities for hybridisation and invasiveness. Sites we suggest be precluded from assisted colonisation include sites of high species endemism, IUCN category 1 reference reserves and fully‐functioning threatened ecological communities.
Effects of flooding on recruitment and abundance of Golden Perch (Macquaria ambigua ambigua) in the lower River Murray
Authors: Zampatti Brenton , Leigh Sandra
Published: May 2013

Flooding is often considered a stimulus for production of fish in floodplain rivers. In the southern Murray–Darling Basin (MDB), Australia, however, few native fish species have been shown to use the floodplain for spawning, and recruitment has been positively and negatively associated with flooding. In 2010/11, extensive flooding in the lower River Murray provided an opportunity to investigate the recruitment response of Golden Perch (Macquaria ambigua ambigua) following 10 years of drought and floodplain isolation. Annual variation in Golden Perch abundance and recruitment were investigated in anabranch and main channel habitats at Chowilla in the floodplain geomorphic region of the lower River Murray over a 7‐year period incorporating the flood and 6 years of in‐channel flow. Spatial variation in recruitment in the lower River Murray was also investigated by comparing the age structure of Golden Perch in the swamplands/lakes, gorge and floodplain geomorphic regions. Golden Perch abundance in the Chowilla region increased significantly postflooding compared with drought years. Age structures indicated that increased abundance was due predominantly to fish spawned during the flood (2010/11) and the previous year (2009/10), which was characterised by in‐channel flows. Age structure was similar in the nearby Katarapko Anabranch system indicating a uniform postflood recruitment response in the floodplain geomorphic region. Juvenile Golden Perch from the 2010/11 and 2009/10 cohorts were less apparent in the gorge and swamplands/lakes regions. Golden Perch have flexible life histories and will spawn and recruit in association with in‐channel rises in flow and overbank flows, but significant increases in abundance in the lower River Murray may result from overbank flooding. Contemporary approaches to flow restoration in the MDB emphasise overbank flows and floodplain processes. We suggest, however, that environmental flow management that incorporates floodplain and in‐channel processes, at appropriate spatio‐temporal scales, will result in more robust populations of Golden Perch.
Treatment of a femoral fracture with a titanium locking compression plate distal femur (LCP‐DF) in a young donkey
Authors: Bumbacher S. , Bryner M. F. , Fürst A. E. , Del Chicca F. , Ringer S. K. , Jackson M. A.
Published: May 2013

See also Clinical Commentary by Barr
Paravertebral malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour (MPNST) in a horse
Authors: Nikolaou G. , de Bont M. P. , Herden C. , Hetzel U.
Published: May 2013

A 10‐year‐old Lipizzaner gelding was presented with intermittent ataxia and hindlimb weakness. Ultrasonographic examination identified a mass cranial to the tuber sacrale. A provisional diagnosis of a soft tissue sarcoma was made based on a biopsy specimen. Owing to the extensive nature of the tumour and the associated poor prognosis, the horse was subjected to euthanasia on humane grounds. A post mortem examination revealed a locally infiltrative soft mass within the left lumbosacral epaxial musculature. Histologically, an infiltrative neoplasm predominantly composed of pleomorphic spindle or stellate‐shaped cells was identified. Neoplastic cells exhibited strong S‐100 protein and GFAP expression and variable vimentin, NSE, NGFR and myoglobin expression. They were uniformly negative for pan‐cytokeratin, melan A, laminin and desmin. The ultrastructural examination revealed pleomorphic cells with long cytoplasmic processes and an absence of melanosomes. Based on these results, a diagnosis of malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumour was made. This report contributes further information to assist in the diagnosis of these poorly defined neoplasms in animals, especially when they occur in uncommon locations.
Subepiglottic cysts in 15 horses
Authors: Salz R. O. , Ahern B. J. , Lumsden J. M.
Published: May 2013

Subepiglottic cysts (SECs) are an infrequent cause of upper respiratory tract noise and exercise intolerance in horses. They may also be associated with no clinical signs and be an incidental finding during routine upper airway endoscopy. The aim of this study was to assess the effect on performance of horses undergoing surgical removal ofSECs. The case records of 15 horses (1995–2009) diagnosed withSECs were retrieved. Eleven (73%) of the 15 horses included in the study were Thoroughbred racehorses. Eleven (73%) of the 15 horses had no preoperative clinical signs related to theSECs, with the remaining 4 (27%) having a respiratory noise (n = 4), nasal discharge (n = 1), difficulty swallowing (n = 1) or a cough (n = 1). Endoscopic examination in the standing horse was diagnostic in 93% (n = 14) of horses. Nine (82%) of the 11 Thoroughbred horses were yearlings, of which only one horse (11%) presented with clinical signs consisting of a respiratory noise and nasal discharge. Four of the 11 (36%) Thoroughbred horses were found to have concurrent epiglottic entrapment. Surgical removal was successful in all cases. Eight of the 11 (73%) Thoroughbred horses in this study raced followingSECremoval. The majority ofSECs are identified during routine endoscopic examinations and are not associated with clinical signs. The prognosis following surgical removal ofSECs is good and future performance does not appear to be affected.
Differences in oxygen‐dependent nitric oxide metabolism by cytoglobin and myoglobin account for their differing functional roles
Authors: Liu Xiaoping , Tong Jianjing , Zweier Joseph R. , Follmer Douglas , Hemann Craig , Ismail Raed S. , Zweier Jay L.
Published: May 2013

The endogenous vasodilator nitric oxide (NO) is metabolized in tissues in an oxygen‐dependent manner. In skeletal and cardiac muscle, high concentrations of myoglobin (Mb) function as a potent NO scavenger. However, the Mb concentration is very low in vascular smooth muscle, where low concentrations of cytoglobin (Cygb) may play a major role in metabolizing NO. Questions remain regarding how low concentrations of Cygb and Mb differ in terms of NO metabolism, and the basis for their different cellular roles and functions. In this study, electrode techniques were used to perform comparative measurements of the kinetics of NO consumption by Mb and Cygb. UV/Vis spectroscopic methods and computer simulations were performed to study the reaction of Mb and Cygb with ascorbate (Asc) and the underlying mechanism. It was observed that the initial rate of Cygb3+ reduction by Asc was 415‐fold greater than that of Mb3+. In the low [O2] range (0–50 μm), the Cygb‐mediated NO consumption rate is ~ 500 times more sensitive to changes in O2 concentration than that of Mb. The reduction of Cygb3+ by Asc follows a reversible kinetic model, but that of Mb3+ is irreversible. A reaction mechanism for Cygb3+ reduction by Asc is proposed, and the reaction equilibrium constants are determined. Our results suggest that the rapid reduction of Cygb by cellular reductants enables Cygb to efficiently regulate NO metabolism in the vascular wall in an oxygen‐dependent manner, but the slow rate of Mb reduction does not show this oxygen dependence.
Impact of Instruction on Shaping or Reshaping Stereotypical Cultural Representations in an Introductory French Course
Authors: Drewelow Isabelle
Published: May 2013

Learning a foreign language promotes new ways of seeing the world and the self in relation to it (Gee, 1996), making practices and perspectives underlined through the acquisition of vocabulary and grammatical structures available for appropriation (Bakhtin, 1981; Kramsch, 1993, 2009). Using a combination of interviews and self‐reported questionnaires, this study explores what may influence learners' preconceived images and cultural representations of the French language and culture in an introductory French language course. Data analysis shows that participants started a reflection on how learning a foreign language opens access to the cultures that speak it and embodies cultural acts. However, the findings suggest that at the beginning level, the reflection on the interconnection between a language and its culture needs to be nurtured within the course content itself in order to encourage the process of developing cross‐cultural understanding.
Cluster‐Tic Syndrome: A Cross‐Sectional Study of Cluster Headache Patients
Authors: Wilbrink Leopoldine A. , Weller Claudia M. , Cheung Carlo , Haan Joost , Ferrari Michel D.
Published: May 2013

Objective

To determine the prevalence and nature of trigeminal neuralgia in a large group of cluster headache patients.

Background

Cluster‐tic syndrome is a rare headache syndrome in which trigeminal neuralgia and cluster headache co‐occur. The existence of cluster‐tic syndrome as a separate entity is questioned, and figures on prevalence of simultaneous existence of cluster headache and trigeminal neuralgia are not available.

Methods

As part of a nationwide study on headache mechanisms in cluster headache (Leiden University Medical Centre Cluster headache Neuro Analysis programme), we collected clinical data of 244 cluster headache patients using a semistructured telephone interview in a cross‐sectional design.

Results

In 11 (4.5%) cluster headache patients, attacks fulfilling International Headache Society criteria for trigeminal neuralgia were also present. In all cases, trigeminal neuralgia occurred ipsilateral to cluster headache and in the majority (82%) in the ophthalmic branch. In 8 of these 11 patients (73%), the frequency and time pattern of trigeminal neuralgia seemed to parallel cluster headache and was likely a part of the cluster headache spectrum. In the 3 remaining patients, cluster headache and trigeminal neuralgia were unrelated in time and appeared to occur independently.

Conclusion

Trigeminal neuralgia co‐occurred in 11/244 (4.5%) of cluster headache patients. In only 3 (1.2%) patients, trigeminal neuralgia seemed to occur independently from cluster headache episodes. Trigeminal neuralgia (‐like) attacks in cluster headache patients are most of the time part of the cluster headache spectrum and should then probably not be treated separately. A shared underlying pathophysiological mechanism of cluster headache and trigeminal neuralgia is not supported by this study.
Effects of Switching Acute Treatment on Disability in Migraine Patients Using Triptans
Authors: Serrano Daniel , Buse Dawn C. , Kori Shashi H. , Papapetropoulos Sypridon , Cunanan Cedric M. , Manack Aubrey N. , Reed Michael L. , Lipton Richard B.
Published: May 2013

Objective

To assess the influence of switching acute treatment on headache‐related disability in a population sample of individuals with migraine using acute triptan therapy.

Background

Acute treatments for migraine are often modified in clinical practice. The effect of changes in treatment from one triptan to another or from a triptan to another medication class has rarely been studied.

Methods

Patterns of acute treatment for migraine were monitored from 1 year to the next in the American Migraine Prevalence and Prevention (AMPP) Study for the following couplets (2005‐2006, 2006‐2007, 2007‐2008, and 2008‐2009). Changes in medication regimens were classified as follows: (1) switch within the triptan class; (2) switch to combination analgesics containing opioids or barbiturates; (3) switch to non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) agents; (4) maintaining current therapy (consistent use, “control”). We assessed change in migraine disability assessment scale score from the first to the second year of a couplet contrasting those with consistent use with those who changed acute treatment. Each individual contributed only 1 couplet to the analysis. Persons who added an acute treatment are considered in a separate manuscript. We modeled change in migraine disability assessment scale score as a function of change in medication regimen with consistent users as the control group.

Results

We identified 81 individuals who switched to another triptan, with a referent of 619 who remained consistent, 31 cases who switched to an opioid or barbiturate with a referent of 666 who remained consistent, and 20 cases who switched to an NSAID with a referent of 667 cases who remained consistent. In cell‐mean coded analyses of covariance (ANCOVA), switching from one triptan to another or switching from a triptan to an opioid/barbiturate was never associated with significant improvements in headache‐related disability compared with consistent treatment. Switching from a triptan to an NSAID was associated with significant increases in headache‐related disability among those with high‐frequency episodic/chronic migraine (HFEM/CM) compared with those with low‐frequency episodic migraine (LFEM) (interaction = 34.81, 95% confidence interval 10.61 to 59.00). The same was true comparing high‐frequency episodic/chronic migraine with those with moderate‐frequency episodic migraine (interaction = 48.73, 95% confidence interval 2.63 to 94.83).

Conclusions

In this observational study, switching triptan regimens does not appear to be associated with improvements in headache‐related disability and in some cases is associated with increased headache‐related disability.
Sequential analysis of amino acid substitutions with hepatitis B virus in association with nucleoside/nucleotide analog treatment detected by deep sequencing
Authors: Ninomiya Masashi , Kondo Yasuteru , Niihori Tetsuya , Nagashima Takeshi , Kogure Takayuki , Kakazu Eiji , Kimura Osamu , Aoki Yoko , Matsubara Yoichi , Shimosegawa Tooru
Published: May 2013

Taking nucleoside/nucleotide analogs is a major antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis B infection. The problem with this treatment is the selection for drug‐resistant mutants. Currently, identification of genotypic drug resistance is conducted by molecular cloning sequenced by the Sanger method. However, this methodology is complicated and time‐consuming. These limitations can be overcome by deep sequencing technology. Therefore, we performed sequential analysis of the frequency of drug resistance in one individual, who was treated with lamivudine on‐and‐off therapy for 2 years, by deep sequencing. The lamivudine‐resistant mutations at rtL180M and rtM204V and the entecavir‐resistant mutation at rtT184L were detected in the first subject. The lamivudine‐ and entecavir‐resistant strain was still detected in the last subject. However, in the deep sequencing analysis, rt180 of the first subject showed a mixture in 76.9% of the methionine and in 23.1% of the leucine, and rt204 also showed a mixture in 69.0% of the valine and 29.8% of the isoleucine. During the treatment, the ratio of resistant mutations increased. At rt184, the resistant variants were detectable in 58.7% of the sequence, with the replacement of leucine by the wild‐type threonine in the first subject. Gradually, entecavir‐resistant variants increased in 82.3% of the leucine in the last subject. In conclusion, we demonstrated the amino acid substitutions of the serial nucleoside/nucleotide analog resistants. We revealed that drug‐resistant mutants appear unchanged at first glance, but actually there are low‐abundant mutations that may develop drug resistance against nucleoside/nucleotide analogs through the selection of dominant mutations.
Cannabis Use among Treatment‐Seeking Smokers: Motives and the Moderating Effects of Anxiety Sensitivity
Authors: Norberg Melissa M. , Olivier Jake , Schmidt Norman B. , Zvolensky Michael J.
Published: May 2013

Background and Objectives

Concurrent use of cannabis and tobacco is associated with poor tobacco cessation outcomes. As little research has examined why treatment‐seeking tobacco users engage in cannabis use, the objective of this study was to discover if emotional vulnerability and cannabis use motives are associated with concurrent users' cannabis use.

Methods

One hundred thirty‐eight (n = 138) daily cigarette smokers seeking smoking cessation treatment completed measures of anxiety sensitivity, cannabis use motives, and cannabis use.

Results

Stronger coping, enhancement, social, and expansion motives were associated with using greater amounts of cannabis per use occasion. In a model accounting for all these motives, anxiety sensitivity moderated the relationship between enhancement motives and cannabis use.

Discussion and Conclusions

Clinical interventions for concurrent tobacco–cannabis users may be advanced by targeting low anxiety sensitive individuals' use of cannabis to increase excitement and fun. Such an approach may consist of having clients identify and engage in healthier pleasurable activities and by teaching clients to accept the trade‐off between perceived less pleasurable, but healthier activities and cannabis use. (Am J Addict 2014;23:7–14)
The Wor(l)d is a Collage: Multi‐Performance by Chinese Heritage Language Speakers
Authors: Weiyun He Agnes
Published: May 2013

This study examines the simultaneous use of English and Chinese by speakers of Chinese as a heritage language (CHL). It focuses on spontaneous, dynamic, and high‐density mixing of the two languages within the smallest building block of a speaking turn: the turn constructional unit (TCU). Drawing upon data from different age and proficiency groups, it shows that CHL speakers migrate between and mingle the two language systems freely and frequently at multiple and nested levels of phonemes, morphemes, syllable structures, tones, noun and verb phrases, and clauses. It reconsiders existing syntactic descriptions, sociopragmatic taxonomies, and conversation‐analytic accounts concerning codeswitching and concludes that rather than being governed by fixed, a priori linguistic constraints, sociopragmatic meaning, or conversation‐sequential contingency, this type of ad hoc, intra‐TCU codeswitching is accomplished with a full range of verbal resources from both languages that are simultaneously accessible to the speaker and might be accounted for by a type of rationality characterized by fuzzy logical conditions. It further suggests that, pushing and breaking perceptible linguistic boundaries, CHL speakers celebrate their multi‐competence, traverse invisible cultural and identity boundaries, and employ and enjoy both languages at all ages and proficiency levels in transient and transcendent multi‐performances, which in turn can become a rich resource for heritage language socialization across the lifespan.
The Acquisition of the Korean Honorific Affix (u)si by Advanced L2 Learners
Authors: Mueller Jeansue , Jiang Nan
Published: May 2013

An experiment investigated adult language learners' ability to develop fully integrated cognitive representations of a difficult second language (L2) morphosyntactic feature: the Korean honorific verbal affix (u)si. Native speaker (NS) and nonnative speaker (NNS) latencies during a word‐by‐word self‐paced reading comprehension task were measured. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests indicated that NSs exhibited sensitivity to grammaticality within contexts in which the honorific verbal affix (u)si was present; they did not display such sensitivity in more ambiguous contexts in which the verbal honorific marking was absent. At the second and third positions following the critical point at which the grammaticality of the sentence was evident, NS reaction times for the ungrammatical conditions were significantly longer and the effect sizes were large, z = −4.94, p < .001, r = −0.87; z = −3.89, p < .001, r = −0.67. An item analysis yielded similar results. NNSs, on the other hand, did not demonstrate sensitivity to grammaticality at any of the word positions in participant or item analyses. The experiment suggests that even advanced learners who clearly demonstrate explicit knowledge of the Korean affix (u)si lack integrated morphosyntactic knowledge.
Explicit Information, Grammatical Sensitivity, and the First‐Noun Principle: A Cross‐Linguistic Study in Processing Instruction
Authors: VanPatten Bill , Collopy Erin , Price Joseph E. , Borst Stefanie , Qualin Anthony
Published: May 2013

This study presents the results of four experiments in the framework of processing instruction conducted with four language learner groups (Spanish, n = 43; German, n = 46; Russian, n = 44; and French, n = 48; discussed in that order). In each experiment, the processing problem was held constant (the First‐Noun Principle) although the structure was unique to the language. The independent variables were explicit information prior to treatment and grammatical sensitivity as measured by the Modern Language Aptitude Test. Two dependent measures were included: (a) trials‐to‐criterion (how long it took participants to begin processing correctly) and (b) improvement over time (pretest/posttest). Results show that explicit information may be useful for the processing of some structures but not others; however, explicit information is not necessary. Results also show that grammatical sensitivity does not significantly correlate with any of the measures under any conditions except for the German group that received explicit information. Our conclusion is that when instructed SLA is viewed as processing, variables such as explicit information and grammatical sensitivity may not play the same role as when instructed SLA is viewed as rule learning.
The Function of Gesture in Lexically Focused L2 Instructional Conversations
Authors: Smotrova Tetyana , Lantolf James P.
Published: May 2013

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the mediational function of the gesture–speech interface in the instructional conversation that emerged as teachers attempted to explain the meaning of English words to their students in two EFL classrooms in the Ukraine. Its analytical framework is provided by Vygotsky's sociocultural psychology (e.g., Lantolf & Thorne, 2006) and McNeill's (1992, 2005) theory of gesture–speech synchronization, in particular his notion of catchment—recurrent gestural features that perform a cohesive function. Although the interactions between teachers and students were brief, lasting a mere one minute and fourteen seconds, they were pedagogically rich and remarkably informative regarding the role of gesture in classroom instructional conversations. The analyses suggest that the gesture–speech interface is a potent mediational tool through which students imagistically display details of their understandings of L2 word meanings that do not always emerge through the verbal medium alone. For their part, the teachers integrated gesture into their instructional talk as a way of remediating and improving student understandings. Finally, students signaled their modified understandings by appropriating and using the teachers' gestures in their own expressive moves.
“La Orquesta”: Symbolic Performance in a Multilingual Community of Practice
Authors: Back Michele
Published: May 2013

Researchers in second language socialization (SLS) often examine those interactions relating to a learner's integration within a target community. Kramsch and Whiteside (2008) noted the importance of symbolic competence in this integration. Symbolic competence, defined as the ability to access contextually relevant social and political histories in order to “play with various linguistic codes and the various spatial and temporal resonances of these codes” (p. 664), is viewed at least partially in interaction. The current article contains an analysis of how one individual performed his own orientations of symbolic competence—what I term symbolic performance—in the context of his community of practice. Through a close discourse analysis of a conversation between Alejandro, a native speaker of Spanish, and members of his Quichua‐speaking community, I highlight how certain symbols and histories were performed in what was, on the surface, a lighthearted interaction. This analysis reveals how members of the target community resisted some aspects of Alejandro's performance and examines the implications of this resistance for Alejandro's socialization into the community. The findings of this study add to a new body of literature that operationalizes and problematizes the notion of symbolic competence in multilingual communities of practice and other SLS contexts.
Styling in a Language Learned Later in Life
Authors: Rampton Ben
Published: May 2013

This article analyses the styles of English produced by an adult migrant who started to speak the language later in life, and it approaches them from the perspective of quantitative style‐shifting and discursive stylization. After defining style and the procedures needed to justify the term ‘L2,’ the study describes the focal informant's diasporic experience in London and then shows how his style‐shifting and some of his L2 speech variants chime with now well‐established local patterns. It then turns to stylization in the performance of character speech in narrative, exploring the complex and not always effective relationship between linguistic form, discursive context, and socio‐indexical resonance, first in the informant's performance of Anglo vs. Indian styles and then in his production of vernacular Anglo. The article concludes with a characterization of his participation in the London sociolinguistic economy and comments on linguistic anthropology's potential value to studies of L2 style. Overall, it seeks to navigate a route between a priori assumptions about linguistic deficiency in SLA on the one hand, and romantic celebrations of difference in sociolinguistics on the other.
Strategy Inventory for Language Learning–ELL Student Form: Testing for Factorial Validity
Authors: Ardasheva Yuliya , Tretter Thomas R.
Published: May 2013

As the school‐aged English language learner (ELL) population continues to grow in the United States and other English‐speaking countries, psychometrically sound instruments to measure their language learning strategies (LLS) become ever more critical. This study adapted and validated an adult‐oriented measure of LLS (50‐item Strategy Inventory for Language Learning [SILL]; Oxford, 1990) for school‐aged ELLs in a sample of 1,057 elementary, middle, and high school students. The two‐stage validation process resulted in a shorter, 28‐item version of the instrument, which we entitled the SILL–ELL Student Form. The results of confirmatory factor analyses indicated a good fit to the validation (GFI = .92, CFI = .93, RMSEA = .04, SRMR = .05) and combined (GFI = .95, CFI = .95, RMSEA = .03, SRMR = .04) samples. The new measure has strong psychometric characteristics for use with school‐aged ELLs to diagnose their use of LLS in six distinct categories and is approximately half as long as the original SILL, which enhances its pragmatic value for busy classrooms. Additionally, this study addressed some of the theoretical issues with strategy categorization noted in the literature. Other applications of the measure for practice and research are discussed.
Using the Hand to Choreograph Instruction: On the Functional Role of Gesture in Definition Talk
Authors: Belhiah Hassan
Published: May 2013

This article examines the coordination of speech and gesture in teachers' definition talk, that is, vocabulary explanations addressed to language learners. By analyzing one ESL teacher's spoken definitions, the study demonstrates in the details of the unfolding talk how a teacher crafts and choreographs his definitions moment by moment, while attending to the student's linguistic needs. The study draws upon McNeill's (1999/1992) notion of gesture–speech co‐expressiveness, McNeill and Levy's (1993) idea of gestural cohesion, and Kendon's (2000) notion of turn contextualization through gesture. The study identifies three major functional roles of gesture: reinforcing the meaning of verbal utterances; disambiguating the meaning of lexical items; and establishing gestural cohesion across turns at talk. Through the fine‐grained analysis of five excerpts, this study contributes to our understanding of the interactional and informational aspects of gesture in second language teaching. The article discusses implications for the study of gesture in general, and the role of gesticulations in providing comprehensible input to second language learners in particular.
U‐Pb Detrital Zircon Analysis – Results of an Inter‐laboratory Comparison
Authors: Košler Jan , Sláma Jiří , Belousova Elena , Corfu Fernando , Gehrels George E. , Gerdes Axel , Horstwood Matthew S. A. , Sircombe Keith N. , Sylvester Paul J. , Tiepolo Massimo , Whitehouse Martin J. , Woodhead Jon D.
Published: May 2013

Inter‐laboratory comparison of laser ablation ICP‐MS and SIMS U‐Pb dating of synthetic detrital zircon samples provides an insight into the state‐of‐the art of sedimentary provenance studies. Here, we report results obtained from ten laboratories that routinely perform this type of work. The achieved level of bias was mostly within ± 2% relative to the ID‐TIMS U‐Pb ages of zircons in the detrital sample, and the variation is likely to be attributed to variable Pb/U elemental fractionation due to zircon matrix differences between the samples and the reference materials used for standardisation. It has been determined that ~ 5% age difference between adjacent age peaks is currently at the limit of what can be routinely resolved by the in situ dating of detrital zircon samples. Precision of individual zircon age determination mostly reflects the data reduction and procedures of measurement uncertainty propagation, and it is largely independent of the instrumentation, analytical technique and reference samples used for standardisation. All laboratories showed a bias towards selection of larger zircon grains for analysis. The experiment confirms the previously published estimates of the minimum number of grains that have to be analysed in order to detect minor zircon age populations in detrital samples.
Rethinking patch size and isolation effects: the habitat amount hypothesis
Authors: Fahrig Lenore
Published: May 2013

I challenge (1) the assumption that habitat patches are natural units of measurement for species richness, and (2) the assumption of distinct effects of habitat patch size and isolation on species richness. I propose a simpler view of the relationship between habitat distribution and species richness, the ‘habitat amount hypothesis’, and I suggest ways of testing it. The habitat amount hypothesis posits that, for habitat patches in a matrix of non‐habitat, the patch size effect and the patch isolation effect are driven mainly by a single underlying process, the sample area effect. The hypothesis predicts that species richness in equal‐sized sample sites should increase with the total amount of habitat in the ‘local landscape’ of the sample site, where the local landscape is the area within an appropriate distance of the sample site. It also predicts that species richness in a sample site is independent of the area of the particular patch in which the sample site is located (its ‘local patch’), except insofar as the area of that patch contributes to the amount of habitat in the local landscape of the sample site. The habitat amount hypothesis replaces two predictor variables, patch size and isolation, with a single predictor variable, habitat amount, when species richness is analysed for equal‐sized sample sites rather than for unequal‐sized habitat patches. Studies to test the hypothesis should ensure that ‘habitat’ is correctly defined, and the spatial extent of the local landscape is appropriate, for the species group under consideration. If supported, the habitat amount hypothesis would mean that to predict the relationship between habitat distribution and species richness: (1) distinguishing between patch‐scale and landscape‐scale habitat effects is unnecessary; (2) distinguishing between patch size effects and patch isolation effects is unnecessary; (3) considering habitat configuration independent of habitat amount is unnecessary; and (4) delineating discrete habitat patches is unnecessary.
A spatial analysis of community level overweight and obesity
Authors: Penney T. L. , Rainham D. G. C. , Dummer T. J. B. , Kirk S. F. L.
Published: May 2013

Background

Rates of overweight and obesity are now considered to be epidemic. Few studies have examined the spatial distribution of overweight and obesity at the community level, an area of geography recommended for prevention and intervention. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the spatial variation of overweight and obesity using community geographic boundaries.

Methods

A cross‐sectional secondary spatial data analysis was conducted using three combined cycles of Canadian Community Health Survey data for the province of Nova Scotia with community level boundaries. Descriptive rates were calculated using standardised incidence ratio values and spatial analysis was carried out using Global and Local Moran's I and the GetisOrdGi* statistic for cluster identification.

Results

Maps illustrating local cluster analysis showed a significant degree of similarity between neighbouring communities in urban areas more so than rural communities. Hot spot analysis maps showed communities clustering together in the urban centre tended to have lower incidence of overweight and obesity (‘cool spots’), whereas clustered communities in a more rural area had a higher incidence of overweight and obesity (‘hot spots).

Conclusions

The present study showed that there was geographical variation in overweight and obesity between urban and rural communities, and also there was a tendency for communities to cluster based on the incidence of overweight and obesity. This highlights the importance of understanding community level obesity rates and associated behavioural determinants, such as diet and physical activity, as well as the role that urbanisation or rurality may play in intervention initiatives for these behavioural determinants. Specifically, public health nutrition efforts for community level food environments in rural areas should ensure an individualised approach is used, whereas urban areas may be amenable to more general approaches aiming to support healthy weight status among the broader population.
Nutritional status and dietary intake of children with acute leukaemia during induction or consolidation chemotherapy
Authors: Tan S. Y. , Poh B. K. , Nadrah M. H. , Jannah N. A. , Rahman J. , Ismail M. N.
Published: May 2013

Background

The assessment of nutritional status among paediatric patients is important for the planning and execution of nutritional strategies that strive to optimise the quality of life and growth among sick children. The present study aimed to evaluate the nutritional status and dietary intake among children with acute leukaemia.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study included 53 paediatric patients aged 3–12 years old, who were diagnosed with either acute lymphoblastic leukaemia or acute myelogenous leukaemia and were undergoing chemotherapy treatments (induction or consolidation phase). Patients were matched for sex, age (±6 months) and ethnicity with healthy children as controls. Weight, height, body mass index, waist circumference, mid‐upper arm circumference, triceps skinfold thickness, mid‐upper arm muscle area and fat area were determined. Dietary intake was assessed using 3‐day food records.

Results

Anthropometric variables were generally higher among patients compared to controls, although the differences were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The prevalence of overnutrition among patients according to body mass index‐for‐age, waist circumference‐for‐age, mid‐upper arm circumference‐for‐age and triceps skinfold‐for‐age were 24.5%, 29.1%, 17.0% and 30.2%, respectively. Mean energy [5732 ± 1958 kJ (1370 ± 468 kcal) versus 6945 ± 1970 kJ (1660 ± 471 kcal), P < 0.01], protein (50.0 ± 19.7 g versus 62.3 ± 22.3 g, P < 0.01) and fat (43.6 ± 18.9 g versus 58.3 ± 16.7, P < 0.001) intakes of patients were significantly lower than controls.

Conclusions

The prevalence of being overweight and obesity in children with acute leukaemia was higher despite lower energy intake compared to controls. Studies assessing physical activity, the complex interaction and the effects of treatment drugs are warranted to better manage malnutrition among paediatric patients.