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Soft locality restrictions in negative concord : evidence from the french future polarity effect
No full textThis paper provides new evidence that syntactic principles that are proposed to explain the (un)grammaticality of a sentence can also hold in sociolinguistic variation. In particular, we argue that two puzzling frequency patterns involving negation in French-the proximity effect on negative concord and the polarity effect on future temporal reference-are deeply related and are both derived from the sensitivity of syntactic agreement to soft locality constraints. Recent quantitative studies of future temporal reference reveal that, although all negative items are subject to the polarity effect in Laurentian French, pas does not give rise to the polarity effect in Parisian French. We argue that this dialectal difference can be explained by minor variations in the syntactic and semantic properties of the negative marker pas, given an appropriate analysis of the syntax of negative concord. Our paper therefore shows that incorporating sociolinguistic variation into syntactic theory helps refine our understanding of general syntactic principles, such as locality constraints, and argues that frequency/preference patterns should be included in the full theory of syntactic competence and performance of speakers.This paper provides new evidence that syntactic principles that are proposed to explain the (un)grammaticality of a sentence can also hold in sociolinguistic variation. In particular, we argue that two puzzling frequency patterns involving negation in French-the proximity effect on negative concord and the polarity effect on future temporal reference-are deeply related and are both derived from the sensitivity of syntactic agreement to soft locality constraints. Recent quantitative studies of future temporal reference reveal that, although all negative items are subject to the polarity effect in Laurentian French, pas does not give rise to the polarity effect in Parisian French. We argue that this dialectal difference can be explained by minor variations in the syntactic and semantic properties of the negative marker pas, given an appropriate analysis of the syntax of negative concord. Our paper therefore shows that incorporating sociolinguistic variation into syntactic theory helps refine our understanding of general syntactic principles, such as locality constraints, and argues that frequency/preference patterns should be included in the full theory of syntactic competence and performance of speakers.A
Does livestock-crop diversification improve food and nutrition security? Evidence from Eastern Ethiopia
No full textPastoral and agro-pastoral households are the most vulnerable parts of the population to climate change-induced shocks and they are increasingly subject to acute food and nutrition insecurity. We identified drivers of livestock-crop diversification and examined its effects on improving households' food and nutrition security using cross sectional data collected from 258 households across five districts in the East Hararghe zone in Ethiopia. Endogenous Switching Regression (ESR) analysis was used to identify factors associated with the households' food and nutrition security outcomes and estimate the causal effects of livestock-crop diversification on the households' food and nutrition security. Our results show that land certification, mobile phone ownership, and access to pastoral training centres were positively and significantly associated with livestock-crop diversification. In contrast, being located in Meyu Muluke and Kumbi districts were negatively and significantly associated with livestock-crop diversification, compared to Chinaksen district. The average treatment effect estimations suggest that livestock-crop diversification has positively and significantly improved diversified households' nutritional security outcome. The findings also reveal that non-diversified households' food insecurity would have reduced had they diversified. Nonetheless, livestock-crop diversification is neither enough to pull farm households fully out of food and nutrition insecurity nor the only factor influencing farm households' food and nutrition security outcomes. Hence, there is also a need to strengthen access to physical infrastructure, credit facilities, extension services, provision of farm inputs, and pastoral training centres to reduce food and nutrition insecurity in the study area.Pastoral and agro-pastoral households are the most vulnerable parts of the population to climate change-induced shocks and they are increasingly subject to acute food and nutrition insecurity. We identified drivers of livestock-crop diversification and examined its effects on improving households' food and nutrition security using cross sectional data collected from 258 households across five districts in the East Hararghe zone in Ethiopia. Endogenous Switching Regression (ESR) analysis was used to identify factors associated with the households' food and nutrition security outcomes and estimate the causal effects of livestock-crop diversification on the households' food and nutrition security. Our results show that land certification, mobile phone ownership, and access to pastoral training centres were positively and significantly associated with livestock-crop diversification. In contrast, being located in Meyu Muluke and Kumbi districts were negatively and significantly associated with livestock-crop diversification, compared to Chinaksen district. The average treatment effect estimations suggest that livestock-crop diversification has positively and significantly improved diversified households' nutritional security outcome. The findings also reveal that non-diversified households' food insecurity would have reduced had they diversified. Nonetheless, livestock-crop diversification is neither enough to pull farm households fully out of food and nutrition insecurity nor the only factor influencing farm households' food and nutrition security outcomes. Hence, there is also a need to strengthen access to physical infrastructure, credit facilities, extension services, provision of farm inputs, and pastoral training centres to reduce food and nutrition insecurity in the study area.A
Social media influencers as new agents on parenthood? A systematic literature review of parent influencer research and a future research agenda
No full textParents frequently turn to social media and blogs to find information, advice, and support on parenting. In recent years, social media influencers and specifically 'parent influencers' have become prominent figures in the realm of parenthood. The latter group capitalizes on their family lives, skillfully integrates product placements, and openly shares their daily experiences. Parent influencers are believed to have an exceptionally influential voice, but a comprehensive understanding of how they actually shape parental expectations, identities and well-being is missing. Using the five-step methodology of Khan and Zamora (2022, Systematic reviews to support evidence-based medicine: How to appraise, conduct and publish reviews, CRC Press) and Stern's framework (1994, A revised communication model for advertising: Multiple dimensions of the source, the message, and the recipient, Journal of Advertising, 23(2), 5-15, https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1994.10673438) we carried out a systematic literature review (N = 96), so to map and understand the emerging field on parent influencers. The results show how disproportionality more research has been devoted to mothers, mom influencers and discourses on motherhood. In addition, we find a lack of diversity within the parent influencer landscape, encompassing both content creators and the reception of the content. Finally, the conceptualization and operationalization of parental wellbeing is underdeveloped, and there is a notable absence of empirical evidence and impact. In the discussion, we highlight these and other shortcomings and provide a future research agenda.Parents frequently turn to social media and blogs to find information, advice, and support on parenting. In recent years, social media influencers and specifically 'parent influencers' have become prominent figures in the realm of parenthood. The latter group capitalizes on their family lives, skillfully integrates product placements, and openly shares their daily experiences. Parent influencers are believed to have an exceptionally influential voice, but a comprehensive understanding of how they actually shape parental expectations, identities and well-being is missing. Using the five-step methodology of Khan and Zamora (2022, Systematic reviews to support evidence-based medicine: How to appraise, conduct and publish reviews, CRC Press) and Stern's framework (1994, A revised communication model for advertising: Multiple dimensions of the source, the message, and the recipient, Journal of Advertising, 23(2), 5-15, https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.1994.10673438) we carried out a systematic literature review (N = 96), so to map and understand the emerging field on parent influencers. The results show how disproportionality more research has been devoted to mothers, mom influencers and discourses on motherhood. In addition, we find a lack of diversity within the parent influencer landscape, encompassing both content creators and the reception of the content. Finally, the conceptualization and operationalization of parental wellbeing is underdeveloped, and there is a notable absence of empirical evidence and impact. In the discussion, we highlight these and other shortcomings and provide a future research agenda.A
Ian Reader. "Religion and Tourism in Japan: Intersections, Images, Policies and Problems." London: Bloomsbury Academic, 2024. 272 pages. Hardcover $115.
No full textLiving in an AI-enabled society : exploring the consumer perspective across cultures
No full textPublic defense: 2025-01-30D
Uncovering the role of Serendipita williamsii volatiles in establishing its own plant beneficial endophytic colonization : a parallel study of the headspace composition and mode of action
No full textOver the past years, there has been a growing interest in plant responses upon exposure to the volatilome of different fungi. However, knowledge on the composition of these fungal volatilomes and how they affect the plant’s physiology is scarce. The enigmatic genus of Serendipita is a renowned endophytic fungus who can increase the plant’s resilience upon abiotic and biotic stress through its volatilome[1]. A combination of better nutrient uptake through beneficial root colonization and protection against stresses with its volatilome makes Serendipita of high potential for advancing sustainable crop production systems[2], [3]. To gain a deeper understanding of how Serendipita establishes this beneficial symbiosis with the plant, we developed a new innovative approach to assess the content and bioactivity of the Serendipita volatilome: First we assessed the composition of in vitro grown Serendipita headspace. For this purpose, fungal cultures were grown in closed recipients, allowing for a sterile sampling of their headspace. Then, TD-GC-MS was used to qualitatively identify the most abundant volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) emitted by Serendipita. In parallel, the role of the whole volatilome of Serendipita in establishing root colonization in Solanum lycopersicum was studied by using a new experimental setup that allows to rule out the fertilization effect of CO2 produced by the fungal metabolism when plants are directly exposed to a growing fungus. Tomato plants were exposed to the VOC’s produced by Serendipita and were compared to plants not exposed to any VOC’s. The immunity of the plant was assessed after exposure to the volatiles of Serendipita by using a detached leaf assay, allowing us to visualize a difference in pathogen susceptibility. Hyperspectral imaging is additionally used to link the reflectance spectrum of treated plants with their immunity response to a pathogen. Next to this, the colonization of Serendipita in the roots of Tomato plants was quantified by using an RNA-based qPCR protocol, to see if exposing tomato plants to Serendipita VOC’s leads to a higher presence of chlamydospores in the root and thus would facilitate its own colonization.An overview of the most important volatiles detected will be presented, as well as a detailed outline of the experimental setups with a proposed mode of action.Over the past years, there has been a growing interest in plant responses upon exposure to the volatilome of different fungi. However, knowledge on the composition of these fungal volatilomes and how they affect the plant’s physiology is scarce. The enigmatic genus of Serendipita is a renowned endophytic fungus who can increase the plant’s resilience upon abiotic and biotic stress through its volatilome[1]. A combination of better nutrient uptake through beneficial root colonization and protection against stresses with its volatilome makes Serendipita of high potential for advancing sustainable crop production systems[2], [3]. To gain a deeper understanding of how Serendipita establishes this beneficial symbiosis with the plant, we developed a new innovative approach to assess the content and bioactivity of the Serendipita volatilome: First we assessed the composition of in vitro grown Serendipita headspace. For this purpose, fungal cultures were grown in closed recipients, allowing for a sterile sampling of their headspace. Then, TD-GC-MS was used to qualitatively identify the most abundant volatile organic compounds (VOC’s) emitted by Serendipita. In parallel, the role of the whole volatilome of Serendipita in establishing root colonization in Solanum lycopersicum was studied by using a new experimental setup that allows to rule out the fertilization effect of CO2 produced by the fungal metabolism when plants are directly exposed to a growing fungus. Tomato plants were exposed to the VOC’s produced by Serendipita and were compared to plants not exposed to any VOC’s. The immunity of the plant was assessed after exposure to the volatiles of Serendipita by using a detached leaf assay, allowing us to visualize a difference in pathogen susceptibility. Hyperspectral imaging is additionally used to link the reflectance spectrum of treated plants with their immunity response to a pathogen. Next to this, the colonization of Serendipita in the roots of Tomato plants was quantified by using an RNA-based qPCR protocol, to see if exposing tomato plants to Serendipita VOC’s leads to a higher presence of chlamydospores in the root and thus would facilitate its own colonization.An overview of the most important volatiles detected will be presented, as well as a detailed outline of the experimental setups with a proposed mode of action.C
Timely short-term specialised palliative home care for older people with frailty and their family : a mixed-methods pilot randomised controlled trial and process evaluation
No full textObjective The primary study aims were to evaluate the implementation, mechanisms and context of a timely short-term specialised palliative care intervention for older people with frailty (Frailty+ intervention) as well as to assess the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate Frailty+. Our secondary aim was to describe any preliminary effects of Frailty+.Design Pilot randomised controlled trial with process evaluation.Setting/Participants We aimed to recruit 50 adults (>= 70 years) with Clinical Frailty Scale score 5-7, and complex care needs and their main family carer, if available, from two Belgian hospitals on discharge.Interventions Patients were randomised to the Frailty+ intervention alongside standard care or standard care alone.Outcome measures Implementation and trial feasibility were assessed through interviews, focus groups and quantitative data. The primary outcome to be used in a potential full-scale trial if the study is feasible and implementable was mean change in five palliative care symptoms over 8 weeks.Results We enrolled 37 patients (19 intervention, 18 control) and 26 family carers (15 intervention, 11 control). Patients and family carers valued the home visits from palliative care nurses, and nurses saw value in Frailty+. But most patients received only one visit over 8 weeks, and nurses did not organise foreseen multidisciplinary meetings, referring to absence of urgent needs. Many aspects of the trial methods were feasible, but recruitment was challenging. The baseline mean score on the five palliative care symptoms was 6.0 and 5.6 in intervention and control group, respectively; and 4.5 and 4.1 at 8 weeks (adjusted ratio 1.0, ie, no effects on symptoms).Conclusions While Frailty+ was generally welcomed by older people with frailty, families and palliative care nurses, our process evaluation uncovered multiple barriers, mostly rooted in the current organisation of specialised palliative care that is tailored to advanced stages of illness. Ensuring timely access requires efforts beyond timely referral alone, and implies profound organisational and cultural change.Trial registration number ISRCTN39282347.Objective The primary study aims were to evaluate the implementation, mechanisms and context of a timely short-term specialised palliative care intervention for older people with frailty (Frailty+ intervention) as well as to assess the feasibility of a randomised controlled trial to evaluate Frailty+. Our secondary aim was to describe any preliminary effects of Frailty+.Design Pilot randomised controlled trial with process evaluation.Setting/Participants We aimed to recruit 50 adults (>= 70 years) with Clinical Frailty Scale score 5-7, and complex care needs and their main family carer, if available, from two Belgian hospitals on discharge.Interventions Patients were randomised to the Frailty+ intervention alongside standard care or standard care alone.Outcome measures Implementation and trial feasibility were assessed through interviews, focus groups and quantitative data. The primary outcome to be used in a potential full-scale trial if the study is feasible and implementable was mean change in five palliative care symptoms over 8 weeks.Results We enrolled 37 patients (19 intervention, 18 control) and 26 family carers (15 intervention, 11 control). Patients and family carers valued the home visits from palliative care nurses, and nurses saw value in Frailty+. But most patients received only one visit over 8 weeks, and nurses did not organise foreseen multidisciplinary meetings, referring to absence of urgent needs. Many aspects of the trial methods were feasible, but recruitment was challenging. The baseline mean score on the five palliative care symptoms was 6.0 and 5.6 in intervention and control group, respectively; and 4.5 and 4.1 at 8 weeks (adjusted ratio 1.0, ie, no effects on symptoms).Conclusions While Frailty+ was generally welcomed by older people with frailty, families and palliative care nurses, our process evaluation uncovered multiple barriers, mostly rooted in the current organisation of specialised palliative care that is tailored to advanced stages of illness. Ensuring timely access requires efforts beyond timely referral alone, and implies profound organisational and cultural change.Trial registration number ISRCTN39282347.A
European Court of Human Rights : Kobaliya and others v. Russia
No full textThe European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) once more found gross and systemic violations by the Russian state of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of association as protected by Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). 107 applicants, including human rights organisations, media outlets and journalists, had complained about measures and sanctions in application of the Foreign Agents Act of 2012, as amended in 2017, 2019 and 2020 and the Federal Law No. 255-FZ of 14 July 2022 that repealed and replaced all previous “foreign agent” legislation. The ECtHR found the restrictions imposed by the Russian authorities on the applicants because of their status as “foreign agents” a breach of their freedom of expression and association and it labelled the legal provisions and their application as bearing “the hallmarks of a totalitarian regime”. The ECtHR build on its earlier case law in Ecodefence and others v. Russia (IRIS 2022-8:1/29), now also taking into consideration the broadening of the concept of “foreign agent” in the more recent version of the law, the expansion of the consequences of being labeled as “foreign agent” and the punitive measures and sanctions for non-compliance with the legal provisions of the Foreign Agent Act. In addition of the finding of a violation of the Articles 10 and 11 ECHR, the ECtHR also found that the applicants’ right to privacy under Article 8 ECHR has been violated by the Russian authorities.The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) once more found gross and systemic violations by the Russian state of the right to freedom of expression and freedom of association as protected by Articles 10 and 11 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). 107 applicants, including human rights organisations, media outlets and journalists, had complained about measures and sanctions in application of the Foreign Agents Act of 2012, as amended in 2017, 2019 and 2020 and the Federal Law No. 255-FZ of 14 July 2022 that repealed and replaced all previous “foreign agent” legislation. The ECtHR found the restrictions imposed by the Russian authorities on the applicants because of their status as “foreign agents” a breach of their freedom of expression and association and it labelled the legal provisions and their application as bearing “the hallmarks of a totalitarian regime”. The ECtHR build on its earlier case law in Ecodefence and others v. Russia (IRIS 2022-8:1/29), now also taking into consideration the broadening of the concept of “foreign agent” in the more recent version of the law, the expansion of the consequences of being labeled as “foreign agent” and the punitive measures and sanctions for non-compliance with the legal provisions of the Foreign Agent Act. In addition of the finding of a violation of the Articles 10 and 11 ECHR, the ECtHR also found that the applicants’ right to privacy under Article 8 ECHR has been violated by the Russian authorities.
Do I dare to leave the universe alone? Environmental crisis, narrative identity, and collective agency in contemporary young adult fiction
No full textNarrative identity, or the construction of a coherent life story to shape a sense of self, is a crucial aspect of identity formation. Narrative identity is impacted by the prevailing cultural narratives during the period of adolescence. This article, drawing on theory from literary studies and sociology, explores the impact of cultural narratives of environmental crisis and destruction on an emerging narrative identity in adolescents as represented in young adult literature. The selected novels-Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman, Green Rising by Lauren James, and Snowflake, AZ by Marcus Sedgwick-examine their protagonists' agency and transformational potential. They foreground collective agency and human-nonhuman assemblages as possible responses to environmental crisis. Although two novels (Dry, Green Rising) affirm that narratives of environmental destruction engage the transformational potential of adolescents for society, the third novel (Snowflake, AZ) complicates this image and questions whether the impact of narratives of environmental crisis could be too overwhelming for adolescents to bear. The article concludes that the young adolescent protagonists adapt their narrative identity in response to environmental destruction.Narrative identity, or the construction of a coherent life story to shape a sense of self, is a crucial aspect of identity formation. Narrative identity is impacted by the prevailing cultural narratives during the period of adolescence. This article, drawing on theory from literary studies and sociology, explores the impact of cultural narratives of environmental crisis and destruction on an emerging narrative identity in adolescents as represented in young adult literature. The selected novels-Dry by Neal and Jarrod Shusterman, Green Rising by Lauren James, and Snowflake, AZ by Marcus Sedgwick-examine their protagonists' agency and transformational potential. They foreground collective agency and human-nonhuman assemblages as possible responses to environmental crisis. Although two novels (Dry, Green Rising) affirm that narratives of environmental destruction engage the transformational potential of adolescents for society, the third novel (Snowflake, AZ) complicates this image and questions whether the impact of narratives of environmental crisis could be too overwhelming for adolescents to bear. The article concludes that the young adolescent protagonists adapt their narrative identity in response to environmental destruction.A