34 research outputs found
Freezing: theoretical approaches and empirical domains/ edited by Jutta Hartmann, [and four others].
No full textEnglish.Includes bibliographical references and index.Displacement is a fundamental property of human language, and the restrictions on displacement have been a central concern in generative grammar ever since Ross' (1967) ground-breaking observations of island constraints. While island phenomena have been investigated in detail from various perspectives, a different domain, the domain of Freezing, originally defined in terms of non-base structures, has received far less attention. This volume brings together papers that address the questions of: What are the different concepts of Freezing? Which empirical domains can they explain? Is Freezing a core-syntactic restriction or does information structure, or processing play a role? The collection of papers provides insights into the empirical basis of the Freezing Principle in relation to other restrictions on extraction in order to contribute to a broader understanding of the nature of restrictions on displacement in language. The overall goal of the volume is a reconsideration of Freezing and other (sub-)extraction phenomena, both from a theoretical and empirical perspective, by bringing together contributions from experts in the field to discuss and broaden our knowledge of the empirical range of Freezing phenomena as well as their explanation.Exploring the concepts of Freezing: Theoretical and empirical perspectives. Theoretical advancement. Ur Shlonsky and Luigi Rizzi: Criterial Freezing in small clauses and the cartography of copular constructions -- Angel J. Gallego: Freezing Effects in a free-Merge System -- Gereon Maller: Freezing in complex prefields. Empirical domains. Norbert Corver: The Freezing points of the (Dutch) adjectival system -- Jutta M. Hartmann: Freezing in it-clefts: Movement and focus -- Josef Bayer: Criterial Freezing in the syntax of particles -- Michael S. Rochemont: Only syntax -- Maria Polinsky: Freezing and phi-feature agreement: On the role of [PERSON] -- BalÃízs SurÃínyi and Gerg Turi: Freezing, Topic Opacity and Phase-based Cyclicity in Subject Islands. Interface extensions. Peter W. Culicover and Susanne Winkler: Freezing: Between grammar and processing -- Andreas Konietzko: Heavy NP shift in context: On the interaction of information structure and subextraction from shifted constituents -- Rui P. Chaves: Freezing as a probabilistic phenomenon -- Marion Jaeger: An experimental study on freezing and topicalization in English.1 online resource
Mismatches between prosody and context
No full textHartmann JM, Jabeen F, Wagner P. Mismatches between prosody and context
Pseudoclefts in Serbian
No full textHartmann J, Milicevic N. Pseudoclefts in Serbian. In: Zybatow G, Biskup P, Guhl M, Hurtig C, Meuller-Reichau O, Yastrebova M, eds. Slavic Grammar from a Formal Perspective. The 10th anniversary FDSL Ccnference, Leipzig 2013 . Linguistik international. Vol 35. Frankfurt a. Main: Peter Lang; 2015: 217-230
Cytologic scoring of equine exercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage: Performance of human experts and a deep learning-based algorithm
No full textExercise-induced pulmonary hemorrhage (EIPH) is a relevant respiratory disease in sport horses, which can be diagnosed by examination of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) cells using the total hemosiderin score (THS). The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility of annotators and to validate a deep learning-based algorithm for the THS. Digitized cytological specimens stained for iron were prepared from 52 equine BALF samples. Ten annotators produced a THS for each slide according to published methods. The reference methods for comparing annotator’s and algorithmic performance included a ground truth dataset, the mean annotators’ THSs, and chemical iron measurements. Results of the study showed that annotators had marked interobserver variability of the THS, which was mostly due to a systematic error between annotators in grading the intracytoplasmatic hemosiderin content of individual macrophages. Regarding overall measurement error between the annotators, 87.7% of the variance could be reduced by using standardized grades based on the ground truth. The algorithm was highly consistent with the ground truth in assigning hemosiderin grades. Compared with the ground truth THS, annotators had an accuracy of diagnosing EIPH (THS of < or ≥ 75) of 75.7%, whereas, the algorithm had an accuracy of 92.3% with no relevant differences in correlation with chemical iron measurements. The results show that deep learning-based algorithms are useful for improving reproducibility and routine applicability of the THS. For THS by experts, a diagnostic uncertainty interval of 40 to 110 is proposed. THSs within this interval have insufficient reproducibility regarding the EIPH diagnosis.Dres. Jutta and Georg Bruns-Stifung für innovative Veterinärmedizi
The interplay of retirement policy and externalisation strategies towards older workers in Polish and German enterprises
Full text linkThroughout the last decades, employment rates of older workers in most European countries have been falling, as has the age of exit from the labour force. This development does not only exert heavy financial pressures on social security systems but inhibits also the potential of older workers to shape their lives actively. The reasons for that trend can be found at three dimensions: the early retirement options inherent in the public retirement system, the internalisation and externalisation strategies of enterprises, and the retirement preferences of individual workers. The paper will present recent empirical data on the way enterprises utilise early retirement options created by the public retirement system for externalising older workforce. The data was collected in expert interviews with personnel managers and works council members in Polish and German enterprises. Many of the studied companies are undergoing restructuring and are cutting employment levels. This clearly dominates their personnel policy towards older workforce. Therefore, externalisation strategies outbalance any possible tendencies to integrate older workers, like considering them to a greater extent in recruitment. The paper will also discuss the possible future development of externalisation strategies in the light of pension reforms carried out in Germany and Poland. --
Microcystins in natural blooms and laboratory cultured Microcystis aeruginosa from Laguna de Bay, Philippines.
No full textLaguna de Bay, the largest freshwater lake in the Philippines, experiences periodic blooms of the cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa. Blooms of these cyanobacteria in 1996, 1998 and 1999 were sampled. HPLC and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry were used to analyze for microcystins. A total of 16 structural variants of the toxin were isolated from the samples with microcystin LR (MC-LR) as the most abundant variant in the samples from 1996 and 1999 making up 77 to 85% of the total, respectively. MC-RR was the dominant variant in the 1998 bloom making up 38%. The samples from 1996 had the highest total toxin concentration (4049 µg g-1) followed by those from 1998 (1577 µg g-1) and 1999 (649 µg g-1). A strain of M. aeruginosa previously isolated from the lake was also cultured in the laboratory under different nitrogen concentrations (1, 3 and 6 mg L-1) and elevated phosphorus concentration (0.5 mg L-1) to determine the influence of these factors on toxin production. A total of 9 different structural variants of microcystin were isolated from the laboratory cultures with MC-LR consisting more than 75% of the total in all treatments. No significant differences in the total toxin concentration as well as the % distribution of the different variants among treatments were observed. However, the strain of M. aeruginosa cultured in the laboratory had from 3 to 20 times higher total microcystin than those harvested from the lake.This study was part of the EU-funded project "Laguna de Bay, Philippines: An Ecosystem Approach for Sustainable Management" under contract CT 94-0334. Additional funds were provided by SEAFDEC/AQD under Project FS-03-F97B. The senior author was supported by a grant from the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD). Dr. S. F. Baldia provided the M. aeruginosa isolates and Mr. E Reyes assisted in the culture and field collection of the samples
Activation policies in Germany : from status protection to basic income support
Full text link"This paper provides an overview of the sequential shift towards activating labour market and social policy in Germany. It not only shows the changes in the instruments of active and passives labour market policies but also analyzes the implications of this change for the political economy, the governance and the legal structure of a 'Bismarckian' welfare state. Our study points at the changes in Germany's status- and occupation-oriented unemployment benefit regime that has been relinquished for a larger share of dependent population. Unemployment insurance benefit duration is shorter now and newly created basic income support for needy persons is not earnings-related anymore. Pressure on unemployed to take up jobs has increased considerably while more persons than before have access to employment assistance. The paper also aims at a preliminary assessment of the effects of activating labour market policy on labour market as well as social outcomes and sets out probable paths of future adaptation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))Arbeitsmarktpolitik, Sozialpolitik, Reformpolitik, Hartz-Reform, aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik, aktivierende Sozialpolitik, Aktivierung, Leitbild, Wohlfahrtsstaat, Arbeitslosenunterstützung, Sozialleistungen, Leistungsanspruch, Leistungsbezug, Anspruchsvoraussetzung, Leistungshöhe, Grundsicherung nach SGB XII, Grundsicherung nach SGB II, Zielgruppe, Arbeitslosengeld II-Empfänger, Erwerbsfähigkeit, Sanktion, Arbeitslose, Existenzminimum, Eigentum, Berufswahlfreiheit, Arbeitsverwaltung, Kompetenzverteilung, organisatorischer Wandel, Job-Center, ARGE, aktivierende Arbeitsmarktpolitik - Erfolgskontrolle, öffentliche Ausgaben, Armut, politischer Wandel, Politikumsetzung
Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment
No full text5186Introduction
While the increasing load of plastic waste in the environment has been observable for many decades, the smaller and less obvious microplastics have only come into focus in recent years. Although marine studies from the 1970s (e.g., Carpenter et al. 1972; Colton et al. 1974) reported an increasing input of small plastic particles into the oceans, systematic research on this topic started only about three decades later. In one of the initializing studies, Thompson et al. (2004) asked, “Lost at Sea: Where is all the Plastic?” and brought the fragmentation of plastic waste into a continuum of macro-, micro-, and nanoplastics into the scientific, political, and public focus - the latter at least by introducing the buzzword “microplastic(s)”. From that point, the research on microplastics has broadened from marine to freshwater and later also to terrestrial ecosystems as well as the atmosphere. Microplastics have been detected in every environmental compartment and almost all ecosystems around the world. Research is already underway on developing potential substitutes, such as biodegradable plastics, and regulators debate measures including bans on certain products or the restriction of microplastics in products placed on the market (ECHA 2019). At the same time, there is still a lack of scientific knowledge about the fate of microplastics in the environment and its long term consequences. A consensus on a science-based definition and categorization of environmental plastic debris (Hartmann et al. 2019; Rochmann et al. 2019), the harmonization of analytical tools to assess environmental concentrations, and quality control and assurance protocols for experiments studying the environmental fate, transport, and effects of micro- and nanoplastics are the first necessary steps in this regard. Generally, accepted frameworks are essential prerequisites for a comprehensive environmental risk assessment and for a dialogue on regulatory measures. Scientific knowledge about entry pathways, distribution, and accumulation in the environment, as well as the effects of microplastics on organisms and ecosystems is the basis for precise and legitimate measures. A profound scientific knowledge base is therefore the foundation for all further discussions on this topic.
This chapter aims to provide an overview of the current state of knowledge on micro- and nanoplastics from an environmental science perspective. The most important research areas and findings are presented, but also open knowledge gaps and challenges are identified, e.g., in the development of sufficiently sensitive analytical or bioassay methods. Finally, the aim is to illustrate the complexity of the topic and why hypothesis-driven research is necessary to address it - but, however, is time intensive
Patient perceptions of anticoagulant treatment with dabigatran or a vitamin K antagonist for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation according to region and age : an exploratory analysis from the RE-SONANCE study
Full text linkFunding Information: The authors thank all the patients who participated in this study. Medical writing support was provided by Parexel, with funding from Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH. Funding Information: Dragos Vinereanu received grants and personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim during the conduct of the study; grants and personal fees from Bristol-Myers Squibb, Pfizer, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, and Daiichi Sankyo outside the submitted work. Dmitry Napalkov received research grants and has participated in scientific advisory boards for Boehringer Ingelheim and has received speaker’s honoraria from Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, and Takeda. Bela Benczur received speaker’s/consultancy fees from Bayer, Berlin-Chemie/Menarini, Boehringer Ingelheim, Krka Pharma, Novartis, Pfizer, Sandoz, and Sanofi. Martin Ciernik, Alexey Medvedchikov, and Wenbo Tang are employees of Boehringer Ingelheim. Pentti Põder received educational grants from Boehringer Ingelheim. Maria Trusz-Gluza received personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim (null during the conduct of the study), personal fees and non-financial support from Boehringer Ingelheim, and personal fees from Bayer outside the submitted work. Jiří Vesely received personal fees and non-financial support from Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Pfizer, MSD, and PRO.MED.CS outside the submitted work. All other authors report no conflicts of interest. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).Background: The oral anticoagulant dabigatran offers an effective alternative to vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF), yet patient preference data are limited. The prospective observational RE-SONANCE study demonstrated that patients with AF, newly initiated on dabigatran, or switching to dabigatran from long-term VKA therapy, reported improved treatment convenience and satisfaction compared with VKA therapy. This pre-specified sub-study aimed to assess the impact of country and age on patients’ perceptions of dabigatran or VKA therapy in AF. Methods: RE-SONANCE was an observational, prospective, multi-national study (NCT02684981) that assessed treatment satisfaction and convenience in patients switching from VKAs to dabigatran (Cohort A), or newly diagnosed with AF receiving dabigatran or VKAs (Cohort B), using the PACT-Q questionnaire. Pre-specified exploratory outcomes: variation in PACT-Q2 scores by country and age (< 65, 65 to < 75, ≥ 75 years) (both cohorts); variation in PACT-Q1 responses at baseline by country and age (Cohort B). Results: Patients from 12 countries (Europe/Israel) were enrolled in Cohort A (n = 4103) or B (n = 5369). In Cohort A, mean (standard deviation) PACT-Q2 score increase was highest in Romania (convenience: 29.6 [23.6]) and Hungary (satisfaction: 26.0 [21.4]) (p < 0.001). In Cohort B, mean (standard error) increase in PACT-Q2 scores between dabigatran and VKAs was highest in Romania (visit 3: 29.0 [1.3]; 24.5 [0.9], p < 0.001). Mean PACT-Q2 score increase by age (all p < 0.001) was similar across ages. PACT-Q1 responses revealed lowest expectations of treatment success in Romania and greatest concerns about payment in Estonia, Latvia, and Romania, but were similar across ages. Conclusions: Treatment satisfaction and convenience tended to favor dabigatran over VKAs. Regional differences in treatment expectations exist across Europe. Trial and clinical registry: Trial registration number: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02684981. Trial registration date: February 18, 2016.Peer reviewe
Molecularly defined diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor (DLGNT) comprises two subgroups with distinct clinical and genetic features
Full text linkDiffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumors (DLGNT) represent rare CNS neoplasms which have been included in the 2016 update of the WHO classification. The wide spectrum of histopathological and radiological features can make this enigmatic tumor entity difficult to diagnose. In recent years, large-scale genomic and epigenomic analyses have afforded insight into key genetic alterations occurring in multiple types of brain tumors and provide unbiased, complementary tools to improve diagnostic accuracy. Through genome-wide DNA methylation screening of > 25,000 tumors, we discovered a molecularly distinct class comprising 30 tumors, mostly diagnosed histologically as DLGNTs. Copy-number profiles derived from the methylation arrays revealed unifying characteristics, including loss of chromosomal arm 1p in all cases. Furthermore, this molecular DLGNT class can be subdivided into two subgroups [DLGNT methylation class (MC)-1 and DLGNT methylation class (MC)-2], with all DLGNT-MC-2 additionally displaying a gain of chromosomal arm 1q. Co-deletion of 1p/19q, commonly seen in IDH-mutant oligodendroglioma, was frequently observed in DLGNT, especially in DLGNT-MC-1 cases. Both subgroups also had recurrent genetic alterations leading to an aberrant MAPK/ERK pathway, with KIAA1549:BRAF fusion being the most frequent event. Other alterations included fusions of NTRK1/2/3 and TRIM33:RAF1, adding up to an MAPK/ERK pathway activation identified in 80% of cases. In the DLGNT-MC-1 group, age at diagnosis was significantly lower (median 5 vs 14 years, p < 0.01) and clinical course less aggressive (5-year OS 100, vs 43% in DLGNT-MC-2). Our study proposes an additional molecular layer to the current histopathological classification of DLGNT, of particular use for cases without typical morphological or radiological characteristics, such as diffuse growth and radiologic leptomeningeal dissemination. Recurrent 1p deletion and MAPK/ERK pathway activation represent diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets, respectively-laying the foundation for future clinical trials with, e.g., MEK inhibitors that may improve the clinical outcome of patients with DLGNT
