16 research outputs found
Misdiagnosis of herpes zoster neuralgia: nerve ultrasound allowed diagnosing schwannoma of the intercostal nerve
No full textLetter to the Edito
L1 effects on the processing of grammatical gender in L2
No full textThis paper explores L1 effects on the L2 off-line processing of Dutch (grammatical gender) agreement The L2 participants had either German, English or a Romance language as their L1. Non-gender agreement (finiteness and agreement) was tested to ascertain the level of proficiency of the participants It was found that the German and Romance groups did not differ from the native speaker controls while the English group performed significantly worse For the two grammatical gender experiments clear effects of L1 were found No groups performed at a level similar to the native speakers, but of the L2 groups a hierarchy of performance was found The German group performed the best, then the Romance group followed by the lower proficient English group This was taken to mean that not only having grammatical gender in the L1 was an important factor but that the grammatical gender had to be similar in order for the L2 distinctions to be learnt.</p
Quantification of surgical trauma: comparison of conventional and minimally invasive surgical techniques for pertrochanteric fracture surgery based on markers of inflammation (interleukins)
No full textGender assignment and gender agreement in advanced French interlanguage: a cross-sectional study
No full textAn analysis of 519 gender errors (out of 9,378 modifiers) in the advanced French interlanguage of 27 Dutch L1 speakers confirms earlier findings that gender assignment and/or agreement remain problematic for learners at all levels. A hypothesis derived from Pienemann's Processability Theory (1998a) that accuracy rates would be higher for gender agreement in structures involving no exchange of grammatical information between constituents was not confirmed. The analysis of interindividual and intra-individual variation in gender accuracy rates revealed effects from avoidance and generalisation strategies, from linguistic variables, sociobiographical variables and psycholinguistic variables. We argue that gender errors can originate at the lemma level, at the gender node level, or at the lexeme level. Different psycholinguistic scenarios are presented to account for intra-individual variation in gender assignment and agreement
The emotional force of swearwords and taboo words in the speech of multilinguals
No full textThis paper investigates the perception of emotional force of swearwords and taboo words (S-T words) among 1039 multilinguals. It is based on data drawn from a large database collected through a web questionnaire on bilingualism and emotions. t -Tests revealed that the perceived emotional force of S-T words is highest in the L1
and gradually lower in languages learned subsequently. Self-reported L1 attriters were found to judge S-Twords in their L1 to be less powerful than those who are still dominant in their L1. Participants who learned their language(s) in a naturalistic or partly naturalistic context gave higher ratings on emotional force of S-T words in
that language than instructed language learners. Self-rated proficiency in a language and frequency of use of language significantly predicted perception of emotional force of S-T words. Age of onset of learning was found to only predict perception of emotional force of S-T words in the L2
Retention or omission of the ne in advanced French interlanguage: The variable effect of extralinguistic factors
No full textThis article considers inter-individual variation in omission rates of the pre-verbal particle ne in 991 negations produced in conversations between 73
native an non-native speakers of French. It appears that both endogenous
an exogenous extralinguistic factors are linked to omission rates of ne. Whereas age and gender were found to have little effect, the degree of extraversion of the speaker, the frequency of use of French and the native/non-native
status of the speakers were correlated with omission rates. Among the exogenous factors it appeared that the composition of the dyad was linked to
omission rates: non-native speakers interacting with native speakers omitted
the ne more frequently than the non-native speakers in conversation with
other non-native speakers. The theoretical implications of these findings are
discussed
Diachronic and/or synchronic variation? The acquisition of sociolinguistic competence in L2 French.
No full textA majority of the early research in Second Language Acquisition focused on diachronic variation in the learners’ interlanguage (IL), that is, differences in the IL linked to a supposed increase in knowledge between two points in time (cf. Tarone 1988). The last decade has seen an increase in studies combining a diachronic perspective with a synchronic one, that is, where variation in production is seen as the consequence of individual differences among learners (gender, extraversion, learning strategies, attitudes, motivation, sociobiographical variables linked to the language learning experience and the use of the target language (TL)). In this perspective, non-native-like patterns are not automatically assumed to be the result of incomplete knowledge, but other possible causes are taken into consideration such as temporary inaccessibility of information in stressful situations or even a conscious decision by the L2 user to deviate from the TL norm
Sociodemographic, psychological and politicocultural correlates in Flemish students' attitudes towards French and English
No full textAn analysis of 100 Flemish high-school students' attitudes towards French and English (both foreign languages) revealed complex links etween personality factors, gender, politicocultural identity, communicative behaviour and foreign language attitudes. Attitudes towards English were found to be much more positive than those towards French, despite the fact that the participants had enjoyed a longer and more intense formal instruction in French (it being their second language). The independent variables were found to have stronger effects for French than for English, with the exception of politicocultural identity of the participant, which had a strong effect on attitudes towards French but not English. Overall, it seems that social factors, including exposure to the foreign languages, are linked with lowerlevel personality dimensions and thus shape attitudes towards these languages
Viscoelastic response of cells and the role of actin cytoskeletal remodelling.
No full textPhDThe mechanical properties of living cells provide useful information on cellular structure and function. In the present study a micropipette aspiration technique was developed to investigate the viscoelastic parameters of isolated articular chondrocytes. The Standard Linear Solid (SLS) and the Boltzmann Standard Linear Solid (BSLS) models were used to compute the instantaneous and equilibrium moduli and viscosity based on the response to an aspiration pressure of 7 cm of water.
The modulus and viscosity of the chondrocytes increased with decreasing pressure rate. For example, the median equilibrium moduli obtained using the BSLS model increased from 0.19 kPa at 5.48 cmH2O/s to 0.62 kPa at 0.35 cmH2O/s. Cell deformation during micropipette aspiration was associated with an increase in cell volume and remodelling of the cortical actin visualised using GFP-actin. Interestingly, GFP-actin transfection inhibited the increase in cell moduli observed at the slower aspiration rate. Thus actin remodelling appears to be necessary for the pressure rate-dependent behaviour. A hypothesis is proposed explaining the role of actin remodelling and interaction with the membrane in regulating cell mechanics.
Further studies investigated a mechanical injury model of cartilage explants which resulted in significant increases in all three viscoelastic parameters. Treatment with IL-1β also increased the instantaneous moduli of cells treated in explants but there was no difference in equilibrium moduli or viscosity. IL-1β treatment in monolayer had no effect on cell mechanics suggesting that previously reported changes in actin associated with IL-1β may be lost during cell isolation or trypsinisation. Separate studies demonstrated increases in chondrocyte moduli and viscosity during passage indicating changes in cell structure-function associated with de-differentiation in monolayer.
In conclusion, this study has developed an optimised micropipette aspiration technique which was successfully used to quantify chondrocyte viscoelastic behaviour and to elucidate the underlying role of actin dynamics and response to pathological stimuli and in vitro culture.EPSR
