Afrikaans and Dutch as closely-related languages: A comparison to West Germanic languages and Dutch dialects

Following Den Besten‟s (2009) desiderata for historical linguistics of Afrikaans, this article aims to contribute some modern evidence to the debate regarding the founding dialects of Afrikaans. From an applied perspective (i.e. human language technology), we aim to determine which West Germanic language(s) and/or dialect(s)  would be best suited for the purposes of recycling speech resources for the benefit of developing speech  technologies for Afrikaans. Being recognised as a West Germanic language, Afrikaans is first compared to  Standard Dutch, Standard Frisian and Standard German. Pronunciation distances are measured by means of  Levenshtein distances. Afrikaans is found to be closest to Standard Dutch. Secondly, Afrikaans is compared to 361 Dutch dialectal varieties in the Netherlands and North-Belgium, using material from the Reeks  Nederlandse Dialectatlassen, a series of dialect atlases compiled by Blancquaert and Pée in the period  1925-1982 which cover the Dutch dialect area. Afrikaans is found to be closest to the South-Holland dialectal variety of Zoetermeer; this largely agrees with the findings of Kloeke (1950). No speech resources are  available for Zoetermeer, but such resources are available for Standard Dutch. Although the dialect of  Zoetermeer is significantly closer to Afrikaans than Standard Dutch is, Standard Dutch speech resources might be a good substitute.Keywords: human language technologies, speech resources, Afrikaans, Dutch, acoustic distanc

Life stress and mental disorders in the South African stress and health study

Background. Although stressful life events (SLEs) are associated with psychopathology, the contribution from distal and proximal events and the specificity of their association with common mental disorders require further exploration. We examined the association of recent life events and past adversities to mood, anxiety, substance use and impulse control disorders in South Africa. Methods. Data were analysed from the South African Stress and Health study, a population-based study of mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of 4 351 adults. Psychiatric disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). This included questions covering early and later SLEs (negative life events, relationship stress, partner violence, social strain and adverse events during childhood) and various sociodemographic variables. Logistic regression models were constructed for 3 957 respondents (2 371 female, 1 586 male) with no missing covariate data, to assess life stress and sociodemographic predictors of 12-month and lifetime disorder. Results. Recent negative life events and relationship problems were significant predictors of any 12-month disorder and any lifetime disorder. Physical partner violence predicted any lifetime disorder. There was evidence of specificity for the prediction of mood versus anxiety disorders, with childhood adversity specifically associated with mood disorders but not anxiety disorders. Single marital status was the strongest socio-demographic predictor of any 12-month and any lifetime disorder. Conclusions. Stressful life events, distal and proximal, contribute significantly and independently to the prediction of major psychiatric disorders among South Africans, underscoring the importance of screening adversities in adults with common mental disorders, and of providing appropriate adjunctive interventions

Life stress and mental disorders in the South African stress and health study

Background. Although stressful life events (SLEs) are associated with psychopathology, the contribution from distal and proximal events and the specificity of their association with common mental disorders require further exploration. We examined the association of recent life events and past adversities to mood, anxiety, substance use and impulse control disorders in South Africa. Methods. Data were analysed from the South African Stress and Health study, a population-based study of mental disorders in a nationally representative sample of 4 351 adults. Psychiatric disorders were assessed with the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). This included questions covering early and later SLEs (negative life events, relationship stress, partner violence, social strain and adverse events during childhood) and various sociodemographic variables. Logistic regression models were constructed for 3 957 respondents (2 371 female, 1 586 male) with no missing covariate data, to assess life stress and sociodemographic predictors of 12-month and lifetime disorder. Results. Recent negative life events and relationship problems were significant predictors of any 12-month disorder and any lifetime disorder. Physical partner violence predicted any lifetime disorder. There was evidence of specificity for the prediction of mood versus anxiety disorders, with childhood adversity specifically associated with mood disorders but not anxiety disorders. Single marital status was the strongest socio-demographic predictor of any 12-month and any lifetime disorder. Conclusions. Stressful life events, distal and proximal, contribute significantly and independently to the prediction of major psychiatric disorders among South Africans, underscoring the importance of screening adversities in adults with common mental disorders, and of providing appropriate adjunctive interventions

Holistic corpus-based dialectology

This paper is concerned with sketching future directions for corpus-based dialectology. We advocate a holistic approach to the study of geographically conditioned linguistic variability, and we present a suitable methodology, 'corpusbased dialectometry', in exactly this spirit. Specifically, we argue that in order to live up to the potential of the corpus-based method, practitioners need to (i) abandon their exclusive focus on individual linguistic features in favor of the study of feature aggregates, (ii) draw on computationally advanced multivariate analysis techniques (such as multidimensional scaling, cluster analysis, and principal component analysis), and (iii) aid interpretation of empirical results by marshalling state-of-the-art data visualization techniques. To exemplify this line of analysis, we present a case study which explores joint frequency variability of 57 morphosyntax features in 34 dialects all over Great Britain

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Risk of Posttraumatic Stress and Related Disorders: A Prospective Longitudinal Evaluation in U.S. Army Soldiers

Crossâ sectional associations between attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been observed, but longitudinal studies assessing this association are lacking. This prospective study evaluated the association between predeployment ADHD and postdeployment PTSD among U.S. Army soldiers. Soldiers who deployed to Afghanistan were surveyed before deployment (T0) and approximately 1 month (T1), 3 months (T2), and 9 months (T3) after their return. Logistic regression was performed to estimate the association between predeployment ADHD and postdeployment (T2 or T3) PTSD among 4,612 soldiers with data at all waves and no record of stimulant medication treatment during the study. To evaluate specificity of the ADHDâ PTSD association, we examined associations among predeployment ADHD, postdeployment major depressive episode (MDE), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and suicidal ideation. Weighted prevalence of ADHD predeployment was 6.1% (SE = 0.4%). Adjusting for other risk factors, predeployment ADHD was associated with risk of postdeployment PTSD, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 2.13, 95% CI [1.51, 3.00], p < .001, including incidence among soldiers with no predeployment history of PTSD, AOR = 2.50, 95% CI [1.69, 3.69], p < .001. ADHD was associated with postdeployment MDE, AOR = 2.80, 95% CI [2.01, 3.91], p < .001, and GAD, AOR = 3.04, 95% CI [2.10, 4.42], p < .001, but not suicidal ideation. Recognition of associations between predeployment ADHD and postdeployment PTSD, MDE, and GAD may inform targeted prevention efforts. Future research should examine whether treatment of ADHD is protective against PTSD and related disorders in traumaâ exposed individuals.ResumenSpanish Abstracts by Asociación Chilena de Estrés Traumático (ACET)El trastorno de déficit atencional con hiperactividad y el riesgo del trastorno de estrés postraumático y trastornos relacionados: Una evaluación longitudinal prospectiva en soldados del ejército estadounidenseTDAH Y RIESGO DE TEPT EN SOLDADOS DEL EJà RCITO DE EE.UU.Se han observado asociaciones transversales entre el trastorno por déficit de atención con hiperactividad (TDAH) y el trastorno por estrés postraumático (TEPT), pero faltan estudios longitudinales que evalúen esta asociación. Este estudio prospectivo evaluó la asociación entre el TDAH previo al despliegue y el TEPT posterior al despliegue entre los soldados del Ejército de Estados Unidos. Los soldados desplegados en Afganistán fueron encuestados antes del despliegue (T0) y aproximadamente 1 mes (T1), 3 meses (T2), y 9 meses (T3) después de su regreso del despliegue. Se realizó una regresión logística para estimar la asociación entre el TDAH previo al despliegue y el TEPT posterior al despliegue (T2 o T3) en 4.612 soldados con datos en todas las etapas y sin registro de tratamiento con medicamentos estimulantes durante el estudio. Para evaluar la especificidad de la asociación TDAHâ TEPT, examinamos las asociaciones entre el TDAH previo al despliegue, el episodio depresivo mayor posterior al despliegue (EDM), el trastorno de ansiedad generalizada (TAG), y la ideación suicida. La prevalencia ponderada del TDAH previo al despliegue fue de 6.1% (SE = 0.4%). Al controlar los otros factores de riesgo, el TDAH previo al despliegue se asoció con el riesgo de TEPT posterior al despliegue, odds ratio ajustado (AOR en su sigla en inglés) = 2.13, IC del 95% [1.51, 3.00], p <.001, incluida la incidencia entre soldados sin historial previo al despliegue de TEPT, AOR = 2.50, IC del 95% [1.69, 3.69], p <.001. El TDAH se asoció con el EDM posterior al despliegue, AOR = 2.80, IC del 95% [2.01, 3.91], p <.001, y TAG, AOR = 3.04, IC del 95% [2.10, 4.42], p <.001, pero no con ideación suicida. El reconocimiento de las asociaciones entre el TDAH previo al despliegue y el TEPT, el EDM, y el TAG posterior al despliegue puede informar los esfuerzos de prevención específicos. Las investigaciones futuras deberían examinar si el tratamiento del TDAH protege contra el TEPT y los trastornos relacionados en personas expuestas a trauma.æ ½è±¡Traditional and Simplified Chinese Abstracts by the Asian Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (AsianSTSS)ç°¡é« å ç¹ é« ä¸­æ æ ®è¦ ç ±äº æ´²å µå ·å¿ ç ç  ç©¶å­¸æ 翻譯Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and Risk of Posttraumatic Stress and Related Disorders: A Prospective Longitudinal Evaluation in US Army SoldiersTraditional Chineseæ¨ é¡ : å° æ³¨å ä¸ è¶³æ é åº¦æ´»èº ç è æ £å µå ·å¾ å£ å ç å ç ¸é ç ¾ç ç é¢¨é ª:å° ç¾ å è» äººé ²è¡ ç å ç »ç¸±è²«ç  ç©¶æ ®è¦ : é å¾ ä¸ ç ´æ ç  ç©¶æª¢è¦ å° æ³¨å ä¸ è¶³æ é åº¦æ´»èº ç (ADHD)è å µå ·å¾ å£ å ç (PTSD)ä¹ é ç æ©«æ ·æ §é é £, å ¯æ ¯, æ å ä» æ¬ ç¼ºæª¢è¦ å ©è é é £ç ç¸±è²«ç  ç©¶ã æ ¬å ç »ç  ç©¶æ ¨å ¨é é ç¾ è» æ¨£æ ¬, è© ä¼°æ å½¹å ADHDè· æ å½¹å¾ PTSDç é é £ã æ¨£æ ¬ç ºå å¾ é ¿å¯ æ± æ å½¹ç è» äºº, å ¨æ å½¹å (T0)å å® æ æ å½¹å¾ ç´ 1å æ (T1)ã 3å æ (T2)å 9å æ (T3)æ ¥å èª¿æ ¥ã æ å 以é 輯迴歸å æ å æ æ 波段ç æ ¸æ , ä¼°è¨ 4,612å è» äººæ å½¹å ADHDè· æ å½¹å¾ (T2 æ T3)PTSDç é é £ã ç  ç©¶ä¸­, æ¨£æ ¬ä¸¦ç ¡æ ç ¨è å¥®è ¥ç ©ã ç ºäº è§£ADHDâ PTSDç ç ¹æ® é é £, æ å æª¢è¦ ä»¥ä¸ é  ç ®ä¹ é ç é é £:æ å½¹å ADHDã å® æ æ å½¹å¾ ç å ´é æ é¬±ç¯ æ®µ(MDE)ã å»£æ³ æ §ç ¦æ ®ç (GAD)ã è ªæ®ºæ 念ã æ å½¹å ADHDæ ®é åº¦ç º6.1% (SE = 0.4%)ã å° å ¶ä» é¢¨é ªå  ç´ ä½ èª¿ç¯ å¾ , æ å½¹å ADHDè· æ å½¹å¾ æ £PTSDç é¢¨é ªæ æ é é £(å·²èª¿ç¯ å ç® æ¯ (AOR) = 2.13, 95% CI [1.51, 3.00], p < .001), ç ¶ä¸­å æ ¬æ å½¹å ä¸¦ç ¡PTSDç è» äºº(AOR = 2.50, 95% CI [1.69, 3.69], p < .001)ã ADHDè· å® æ æ å½¹å¾ æ £MDEç (AOR = 2.80, 95% CI [2.01, 3.91], p < .001)å GAD(AOR = 3.04, 95% CI [2.10, 4.42] p < .001)é ½æ é , ä½ è· è ªæ®ºæ å¿µç ¡é ã äº è§£æ å½¹å ADHDè· æ å½¹å¾ PTSDã MDEå GADç é é £, å ¯è ½æ å ©ç ¼å± é å° æ §ç é  é ²å·¥ä½ ã æ ªä¾ ç  ç©¶æ æª¢è¦ å° å å µäººå£«æ ä¾ ADHDæ²»ç , æ ¯å ¦å° å ¶PTSDå ç ¸é ç ¾ç æ ä¿ è­·æ æ ã Simplified Chineseæ  é¢ : ä¸ æ³¨å ä¸ è¶³æ è¿ åº¦æ´»è· ç ä¸ æ £å 伤å å å ç å ç ¸å ³ç ¾ç ç é£ é ©:å¯¹ç¾ å ½å äººè¿ è¡ ç å ç »çºµè´¯ç  ç©¶æ ®è¦ : è¿ å¾ ä¸ ç ´æ ç  ç©¶æ£ è§ ä¸ æ³¨å ä¸ è¶³æ è¿ åº¦æ´»è· ç (ADHD)ä¸ å 伤å å å ç (PTSD)ä¹ é ´ç æ¨ªæ ­æ §å ³è¿ , å ¯æ ¯, æ ä»¬ä» æ¬ ç¼ºæ£ è§ ä¸¤è å ³è¿ ç çºµè´¯ç  ç©¶ã æ ¬å ç »ç  ç©¶æ ¨å ¨é è¿ ç¾ å æ ·æ ¬, è¯ ä¼°æ å½¹å ADHDè· æ å½¹å PTSDç å ³è¿ ã æ ·æ ¬ä¸ºå å¾ é ¿å¯ æ± æ å½¹ç å 人, å ¨æ å½¹å (T0)å å® æ æ å½¹å 约1个æ (T1)ã 3个æ (T2)å 9个æ (T3)æ ¥å è° æ ¥ã æ ä»¬ä»¥é »è¾ å å½ å æ å æ æ 波段ç æ °æ ®, 估计4,612å å 人æ å½¹å ADHDè· æ å½¹å (T2 æ T3)PTSDç å ³è¿ ã ç  ç©¶ä¸­, æ ·æ ¬å¹¶æ  æ ç ¨å ´å¥ è ¯ç ©ã ä¸ºäº è§£ADHDâ PTSDç ç ¹æ® å ³è¿ , æ ä»¬æ£ è§ ä»¥ä¸ é¡¹ç ®ä¹ é ´ç å ³è¿ :æ å½¹å ADHDã å® æ æ å½¹å ç 严é æ é è 段(MDE)ã å¹¿æ³ æ §ç ¦è ç (GAD)ã è ªæ æ 念ã æ å½¹å ADHDæ ®é 度为6.1% (SE = 0.4%)ã å¯¹å ¶ä» é£ é ©å  ç´ ä½ è° è å , æ å½¹å ADHDè· æ å½¹å æ £PTSDç é£ é ©æ æ å ³è¿ (å·²è° è è ç® æ¯ (AOR) = 2.13, 95% CI [1.51, 3.00], p < .001), å½ ä¸­å æ ¬æ å½¹å å¹¶æ  PTSDç å 人(AOR = 2.50, 95% CI [1.69, 3.69], p < .001)ã ADHDè· å® æ æ å½¹å æ £MDEç (AOR = 2.80, 95% CI [2.01, 3.91], p < .001)å GAD(AOR = 3.04, 95% CI [2.10, 4.42] p < .001)é ½æ å ³, ä½ è· è ªæ æ å¿µæ  å ³ã äº è§£æ å½¹å ADHDè· æ å½¹å PTSDã MDEå GADç å ³è¿ , å ¯è ½æ å ©å å± é å¯¹æ §ç é¢ é ²å·¥ä½ ã æ ªæ ¥ç  ç©¶åº æ£ è§ å¯¹å å 人士æ ä¾ ADHDæ²»ç , æ ¯å ¦å¯¹å ¶PTSDå ç ¸å ³ç ¾ç æ ä¿ æ ¤æ åº ãPeer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146971/1/jts22347_am.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146971/2/jts22347.pd

Increased frequency of circulating IL-21 producing Th-cells in patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA).

INTRODUCTION: The present study aimed to explore a possible role for IL-21 producing Th-cells in the immunopathogenesis of granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA). METHODS: Peripheral blood from 42 GPA patients in remission and 29 age-matched healthy controls (HCs) were stimulated in vitro, and the frequencies of IL-21 producing Th-cells were determined by flow cytometry. Since Th17-cells produce a low level of IL-21, IL-17 was also included in the analysis. Given that IL-21 is a hallmark cytokine for T follicular helper cells (T(FH)), we next evaluated the expression of their key transcription factor BCL-6 by RT-PCR and flow cytometry. To investigate the effect of IL-21 on autoantibody-production, PBMCs from GPA patients were stimulated in vitro with BAFF/IL-21 and total IgG and ANCA levels were measured in supernatants. In addition, the expression of IL-21-receptor on B-cells was analyzed. RESULTS: Percentages of IL-21 producing Th-cells were significantly elevated in GPA-patients compared to HCs, and were restricted to ANCA-positive patients. The expression of BCL-6 was significantly higher in ANCA-positive GPA-patients, as compared with ANCA-negative patients and HCs. IL-21 enhanced the production of IgG and ANCA in vitro in stimulated PBMCs from GPA patients. No difference was found in the expression of the IL-21-receptor on B-cells between ANCA-negative patients, ANCA-positive patients, and HCs. CONCLUSION: The increased frequency of circulating IL-21 producing Th-cells in ANCA-positive GPA patients and the stimulating capacity of IL-21 on ANCA-production suggest a role for these cells in the immunopathogenesis of GPA. Blockade of IL-21 could constitute a new therapeutic strategy for GPA

Approximating A Dsm‐5 Diagnosis Of Ptsd Using Dsm‐Iv Criteria

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/111929/1/da22364.pd

Predictive validity and correlates of selfâ assessed resilience among U.S. Army soldiers

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142339/1/da22694.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/142339/2/da22694_am.pd

RHYTHM-AF: design of an international registry on cardioversion of atrial fibrillation and characteristics of participating centers

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation is a serious public health problem posing a considerable burden to not only patients, but the healthcare environment due to high rates of morbidity, mortality, and medical resource utilization. There are limited data on the variation in treatment practice patterns across different countries, healthcare settings and the associated health outcomes. METHODS/DESIGN RHYTHM-AF was a prospective observational multinational study of management of recent onset atrial fibrillation patients considered for cardioversion designed to collect data on international treatment patterns and short term outcomes related to cardioversion. We present data collected in 10 countries between May 2010 and June 2011. Enrollment was ongoing in Italy and Brazil at the time of data analysis. Data were collected at the time of atrial fibrillation episode in all countries (Australia, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom), and cumulative follow-up data were collected at day 60 (±10) in all but Spain. Information on center characteristics, enrollment data, patient demographics, detail of atrial fibrillation episode, medical history, diagnostic procedures, acute treatment of atrial fibrillation, discharge information and the follow-up data on major events and rehospitalizations up to day 60 were collected. DISCUSSIN A total of 3940 patients were enrolled from 175 acute care centers. 70.5% of the centers were either academic (44%) or teaching (26%) hospitals with an overall median capacity of 510 beds. The sites were mostly specialized with anticoagulation clinics (65.9%), heart failure (75.1%) and hypertension clinics (60.1%) available. The RHYTHM-AF registry will provide insight into regional variability of antiarrhythmic and antithrombotic treatment of atrial fibrillation, the appropriateness of such treatments with respect to outcomes, and their cost-efficacy. Observations will help inform strategies to improve cardiovascular outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical trials NCT01119716Harry JGM Crijns, Lori D Bash, François Chazelle, Jean-Yves Le Heuzey, Thorsten Lewalter, Gregory YH Lip, Aldo P Maggioni, Alfonso Martín, Piotr Ponikowski, Mårten Rosenqvist, Prashanthan Sanders, Mauricio Scanavacca, Alexandra A Bernhardt, Sreevalsa Unniachan, Hemant M Phatak and Anselm K Git