Age de l’exposition initiale et niveau terminal chez des locuteurs quasi-natifs du suédois L2

Cette étude analyse les performances de groupes de locuteurs du suédois langue seconde (L2) que l’on prend pour des autochtones dans la communication quotidienne. Ces sujets avaient débuté leur acquisition du suédois dans l’une des tranches d’âge suivantes : 4-5 ans ; 8-10 ans ; 12-15 ans ; 19-23 ans. Chaque groupe d’âge, défini selon l’Age de l’Exposition Initiale (AEI), comportait 5 sujets. On a comparé les performances de chaque groupe avec celles de locuteurs autochtones du suédois (n = 5) et avec celles d’un groupe de locuteurs non-natifs (n = 5), de niveau très avancé, mais qui ne passent pas pour des autochtones dans la communication quotidienne. Tous ces groupes ont passé trois tests différents : test à trous, jugements de grammaticalité, répétition de phrases produites dans des conditions de bruit. Les résultats montrent des différences quantitatives significatives entre autochtones et locuteurs de L2, quel que soit le groupe AEI auquel ils appartiennent. En revanche, l’écart était petit entre les résultats obtenus par les différents groupes AEI, qui ne montraient le plus souvent pas de différences significatives. La variabilité intra-groupe était restreinte chez les locuteurs autochtones, tandis qu’elle était importante à l’intérieur de chaque groupe de locuteurs non-natifs. Ces résultats vont à l’encontre de l’hypothèse selon laquelle il existe une période « critique » pour l’acquisition des langues.Subjects for the present study were selected on the criterion that their second language, Swedish, sounded native-like in everyday oral communication. They had started their acquisition at one of four age ranges : 4-5 ; 8-10 ; 12-15 ; 19-23. Each age of onset (AO) group comprised 5 subjects. Two comparison groups were included, namely native speakers of Swedish (n = 5) and highly advanced but clearly non-native speakers of Swedish (n = 5). Results from three kinds of data (a cloze test, grammaticality judgments, and repetition in white noise) are presented here. They show significant differences between first and second language speakers, irrespective of AO group. Differences between the different AO groups, on the other hand, were small and in most cases not significant. While within-group variation was salient among the five groups of second language speakers on all tasks, it was minimal in the native speakers comparison group

Altered glucose-dependent secretion of glucagon and ACTH is associated with insulin resistance, assessed by population analysis

This study aimed to characterize how the dysregulation of counter-regulatory hormones can contribute to insulin resistance and potentially to diabetes. Therefore, we investigated the association between insulin sensitivity and the glucose- and insulin-dependent secretion of glucagon, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), and cortisol in non-diabetic individuals using a population model analysis. Data, from hyperinsulinemic–hypoglycemic clamps, were pooled for analysis, including 52 individuals with a wide range of insulin resistance (reflected by glucose infusion rate 20–60 min; GIR 20–60min). Glucagon secretion was suppressed by glucose and, to a lesser extent, insulin. The GIR20–60min and BMI were identified as predictors of the insulin effect on glucagon. At no rmoglycemia (5 mmol/L), a 90% suppression of glucagon was achieved at insulin concentrations of 16.3 and 43.4 μU/mL in individuals belonging to the highest and lowest quanti les of insulin sensitivity, respectively. Insulin resistance of glucagon secretion explained the elevated fasting glucagon for individuals with a low GIR20–60min. ACTH secretion was suppressed by glucose and not affected by insulin. The GIR20–60min was superior to other measures as a predictor of glucose-dependent ACTH secretion, with 90% suppression of ACTH secretion by glucose at 3.1 and 3.5 mmol/L for insulin-sensitive and insulin-resista nt individuals, respectively. This difference may appear small but shifts the suppression rang e into normoglycemia for individuals with insulin resistance, thus, leading to earli er and greater ACTH/cortisol response when the glucose falls. Based on modeling of pooled glucose-clamp data, insulin resistance was associated with generally elevated glucagon and a potentiated cortisol-axis response to hypoglycemia, and over time both hormonal pathways may therefore contribute to dysglycemia and possibly type 2 diabetes

Does bilingualism come with linguistic costs? A meta-analytic review of the bilingual lexical deficit

A series of recent studies have shown that the once-assumed cognitive advantage of bilingualism finds little support in the evidence available to date. Surprisingly, however, the view that bilingualism incurs linguistic costs (the so-called lexical deficit) has not yet been subjected to the same degree of scrutiny, despite its centrality for our understanding of the human capacity for language. The current study implemented a comprehensive meta-analysis to address this gap. By analyzing 478 effect sizes from 130 studies on expressive vocabulary, we found that observed lexical deficits could not be attributed to bilingualism: Simultaneous bilinguals (who acquired both languages from birth) did not exhibit any lexical deficit, nor did sequential bilinguals (who acquired one language from birth and a second language after that) when tested in their mother tongue. Instead, systematic evidence for a lexical deficit was found among sequential bilinguals when tested in their second language, and more so for late than for early second language learners. This result suggests that a lexical deficit may be a phenomenon of second language acquisition rather than bilingualism per se

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

On the Impact of Bariatric Surgery on Glucose Homeostasis

Obesity has grown to epidemic proportions, and in lack of efficient life-style and medical treatments, the bariatric surgeries are performed in rising numbers. The most common surgery is the Gastric Bypass (GBP) surgery, with the Biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch (DS) as an option for the most extreme cases with a BMI&gt;50 kg/m2. In paper I 20 GBP-patients were examined during the first post-operative year regarding the natriuretic peptide, NT-ProBNP, which is secreted from the cardiac ventricles. Levels of NT-ProBNP quickly increased during the first post-surgery week, and later established itself on a higher level than pre-surgery. In paper II we report of 5 patient-cases after GBP-surgery with severe problems with postprandial hypoglycaemia that were successfully treated with GLP-1-analogs. The effect of treatment could be observed both symptomatically and in some cases using continuous glucose measuring systems (CGMS). In paper III three groups of subjects; 15 post-GBP patients, 15 post-DS, and 15 obese controls were examined for three days using CGMS during everyday life. The post-GBP group had high glucose variability as measured by MAGE and CONGA, whereas the post-DS group had low variability. Both post-operative groups exhibited significant time in hypoglycaemia, about 40 and 80 minutes per day &lt;3.3mmol/l and 20 and 40 minutes &lt; 2.8mmol/l, respectively, longer time for DS-group. Remarkably, only about 20% of these hypoglycaemic episodes were accompanied with symptoms. In Paper IV the hypoglycaemia counter regulatory system was investigated; 12 patients were examined before and after GBP-surgery with a stepped hypoglycaemic hyperinsulinemic clamp. The results show a downregulation of symptoms, counter regulatory hormones (glucagon, cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, growth hormone), incretin hormones (GLP-1 and GIP), and sympathetic nervous response. In conclusion patients post bariatric surgery exhibit a downregulated counter regulatory response to hypoglycaemia, accompanied by frequent asymptomatic hypoglycaemic episodes in everyday life. Patients suffering from severe hypoglycaemic episodes can often be treated successfully with GLP-1-analogues

Postprandial Normoglycemic Hypokalemia-an Overlooked Complication to Gastric Bypass Surgery?

Obesity is one of the major health problems of the world, and one of the most common surgical treatments is the Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. This can however lead to problems with postprandial hypoglycemia, but sometimes, the meal test does not render any signs of hypoglycemia. Here, 3 cases are presented with postprandial normoglycemic hypokalemia

Ligger »nästan inföddlikhet» i tvåspråkighetens natur? : Om ålders- vs tvåspråkighetseffekter vid andraspråksinlärning

The relatively recent insight, that the ultimate attainment of childhood L2 learners does not always – or, in fact, does not very often – converge fully with that of native speakers, has called into question age of acquisition (AoA) as the cause of such near-native (rather than nativelike) ultimate attainment. An alternative, increasingly popular, interpretation is that the subtle differences between near-native and nativelike language knowledge and behavior arise, not as an effect of AoA, but merely as an artefact of the customary, allegedly biased comparison between monolingual and bilingual speakers. Along similar lines, it is commonly held that it is the monolingual acquisition (made possible through total L1 loss and ‘neural resetting’) that makes it possible for internationally adopted children to become fully nativelike in their L2 (or “new L1”). With data from a recent series of studies, we challenge these views. In these studies, speakers of Swedish, who were either L1 monolinguals, L1 (simultaneous) bilinguals, early L2 (sequential) monolinguals, or early L2 (sequential) bilinguals, were tested on a total of 13 measures of language representation and processing in Swedish, covering both production and perception of phonetics, morphosyntax, and lexis. The results show consistent effects of AoA but next-to-neg- ligible effects of bilingualism on ultimate attainment, suggesting that AoA – not bilingualism– is the primary determinant of L2 ultimate attainment.https://doi.org/10.33063/diva-434153</p

Comparison of Stimuli for Nonlinear System Response Classification

As part of the development of an automated virtual design classification approach for nonlinear structural dynamics, alternative excitation functions are evaluated with respect to their overall performance and efficiency in feature-based response analysis. Robust design of nonlinear structures requires analysis of extensive parameter variations. Both the character of the stimulus and feature metrics used are central to the performance of a response classification approach. The main purpose of this study is to compare stimulus candidates with respect to their efficiency in response classification. A deterministic multilevel, multifrequency stepped-sine periodic test function is used as a baseline. Order-wise differences between generalized and linearized system frequency response functions are evaluated by a selected feature metric to allow categorization into primary, sub and super harmonic responses, as well as odd and even order response distortions. An alternative excitation function type is the pseudorandom phase multi-sine. Its robust variant estimates the best linear approximation of the generalized frequency response function and related nonlinear and noise variances, which can be used for response classification. The fast variant of this method further detects and classifies occurring even and odd order nonlinear responses using a hypothesis test. This article describes the application of these three methods to a virtually running two-piece rotor shaft model. Time response signals from simulated test parameter variations are used to calculate selected nonlinear feature metric values. The total simulation and measurement time, as well as the predictive performance in a few typical nonlinear response cases are evaluated

Product Placement : A study about Swedes attitude towards product placements in Movies and TV-shows

Marketers have always been looking for alternative ways to reach the target population with their messages. One approach that has grown the last decades is product placement that has become a large arena for companies to involve in their marketing communication. It has been shown that people tend to dislike traditional advertisement such as commercial brakes in TV and tries to avoid it by switching channel. Since product placement is a type of advertisement that is embedded in a movie or TV-show and cannot be zapped away without missing the story of the movie or TV-show, it is a good opportunity to reach out with a company’s message. Several studies have been done in the field of mapping the attitudes towards product placement but no research has been done with the Swedish audience in focus. Therefore the purpose of this thesis is: “…to investigate what attitudes the Swedish audience has towards product placements in Movies and TV-shows”, which will lead to a greater knowledge for Swedish marketing managers about the attitudes towards product placement in Sweden. This thesis is a quantitative study with a descriptive single cross-sectional design. The data was retrieved through a questionnaire online. The sample frame was generation Y which is people that are between the ages 18-35. The study showed that the general attitude towards product placement is positive for the Swedish audience. When it comes to the different dimensions of product placement; visual-only, audio-only and a combination audio-visual it is shown that the visual placements is seen as the most positive way to place a product in a movie or a TV-show. It could also be seen several similarities with previous studies that prominent placement has a lower attitude while a subtle placements has a more positive attitude