The triple task technique for studying writing processes : on which task is attention focused ?

The triple task technique measures the time and cognitive effort devoted to specific writing processes by combining directed retrospection with secondary task reaction time (RT). Writing a text is the primary task and rapidly detecting auditory probes to index cognitive effort is the secondary task. The third task is retrospecting and categorizing the contents of working memory at the time of each probe. The present paper reviews studies on the reactivity and validity of the technique. Further, one recent criticism of the method's validity is tested here: namely, that the primary task for the experimenter is not the primary task for the writer, thus distorting the time and effort measurements. We found that time and effort allocated to planning, translating, executing, evaluating, and revising was the same when the writer was encouraged by instructions to focus either on the speed of responding or the accuracy of retrospection instead of the text itself. Because writing requires sustained thought and attention to produce a cumulative product, it is apparently difficult to make text production anything but the primary task. The triple task technique offers a useful alternative to pause analysis and verbal protocols for investigating the functional features of writing

Comment on ‘The latency period of mesothelioma among a cohort of British asbestos workers (1978–2005)': the effect of left censoring

none4noWe read with extreme interest the article by Frost on mesothelioma latency period among asbestos workers (Frost, 2013). Despite the main aim of the study being to investigate ‘the determinants of mesothelioma latency among a cohort of asbestos workers, paying particular attention to indicators of intensity of asbestos exposure’ (Frost, 2013), the reported lack of evidence of an association between duration of exposure and latency attracted some attention. Commenters argued that right censoring occurring in the underlying cohort could have biased an analysis restricted to cases (Consonni et al, 2014; Mirabelli and Zugna, 2014).openFarioli, A; Mattioli, S; Curti, S; Violante, F SFarioli, A; Mattioli, S; Curti, S; Violante, F

Charge mentale et mobilisation des processus rédactionnels : examen de la procédure de Kellogg

The method used by Kellogg (1987) requires that the writer performs a concurrent task followed by a supplementary task. The subjects must react to auditory signals during writing (the recorded RT's express the weight of the subject's cognitive effort) and then qualify (directed retrospection) the ongoing writing activity (planning, translating or reviewing). The goal of experiment 1 is to test the role of bips distribution (15, 30, 60 sec) on the cognitive load. Experiment 2 tests how the retrospective task (retrospection with training, without retrospection vs. Kellogg's retrospection) affects the cognitive effort. The results show that the bips distribution as well as a training on retrospection had effects on RT's but not on the activation of writing processes. Contrary to Kellogg's findings, RT's are not different for the three writing processes. Writers distribute their cognitive resources as a function of the tasks' constraints: writing, quick reaction and retrospection. It is concluded that Kellogg's method must be revaluated as an appropriate tool for measuring the cognitive effort involved in the various writing processes

337 Determinants of back-pain in the European Countries. A cross-sectional analysis of data from the fifth European Working Conditions Survey

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"Is this case of a very rare disease work-related?" A review of reported cases of Pacinian neuroma.

Objective In response to a request for a medicolegal opinion from an orthopaedic technician with pacinian neuroma of the hand, we conducted a systematic review of reported cases designed to assess whether this rare disease could be considered to be work-related.Methods We used Medline, Embase, Google Scholar, Google, and a manual search to identify reports of histologically confirmed pacinian neuroma of the hand manifesting after 15 years of age. Cases with available information (from article/authors) on personal history were considered eligible. We tabulated information on age/gender; localization and histopathologic features; signs/symptoms; history of local trauma; occupation, sports/hobbies or other physical exposures; right- or left-handedness; and outcome.Results We found 44 eligible cases (including the present referral). Of these, 21 (48%) followed a trauma [<6 months from onset/presentation (N=7); 0.5\u20132 years from onset (N=6); 652 years from onset (N=7); and timing unknown (N=1)] involving the same anatomic site. Three of these 21 traumas definitely occurred at work, and a further 2 cases occurred at the site of definite work-related repetitive microtrauma.Conclusions The results reinforce the concept that pacinian neuroma of the hand can follow local trauma or repetitive microtrauma. Implicated traumas were either recent or remote, and they sometimes occurred while performing manual tasks at work. We concluded that the referred case could plausibly be considered work-related

Impact of N-tau on adult hippocampal neurogenesis, anxiety, and memory.

Different pathological tau species are involved in memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia among older people. However, little is known about how tau pathology directly affects adult hippocampal neurogenesis, a unique form of structural plasticity implicated in hippocampusdependent spatial learning and mood-related behavior. To this aim, we generated a transgenic mouse model conditionally expressing a pathological tau fragment (26e230 aa of the longest human tau isoform, or N-tau) in nestin-positive stem/progenitor cells. We found that N-tau reduced the proliferation of progenitor cells in the adult dentate gyrus, reduced cell survival and increased cell death by a caspase- 3eindependent mechanism, and recruited microglia. Although the number of terminally differentiated neurons was reduced, these showed an increased dendritic arborization and spine density. This resulted in an increase of anxiety-related behavior and an impairment of episodic-like memory, whereas less complex forms of spatial learning remained unaltered. Understanding how pathological tau species directly affect neurogenesis is important for developing potential therapeutic strategies to direct neurogenic instructive cues for hippocampal function repair

Hidden effectiveness? Results of hand-searching Italian language journals for occupational health interventions

Objective To compare the yield of hand-searching with optimised electronic search strategies in retrieving occupational health (OH) intervention studies published in a language other than English. Methods The authors systematically hand-searched and screened reports of OH intervention studies published in Italian in peer-reviewed scientific journals between 1990 and 2008. The authors evaluated how many of them met the Cochrane Occupational Safety and Health Review Groups (OSHRG) definition of being an OH intervention study and how many potentially relevant studies retrieved by hand-searching would not be found by PubMed alone using the OSHRG9s most specific and most sensitive search strings. Results Hand-searching retrieved 25 articles (reporting 27 studies), including nine not indexed in MEDLINE. Most studies (81%, 22/27) had a before–after design and only one was a randomised trial. The OSHRG9s most sensitive search string retrieved all 16 articles published in the Italian language journals that were indexed in MEDLINE, while the most specific search strategy retrieved nine articles (56%, 9/16). The most specific search string showed a lower 'number needed to read' value than the most sensitive one (60 vs 132). Conclusions These findings suggest that a sensitive electronic search strategy may be able to find most of the OH interventions published in languages other than English that are indexed in MEDLINE. Hand-searching of important national journals not indexed in MEDLINE should be considered when conducting particularly in-depth research

Identification and molecular characterization of allergenic nsLTP from durum wheat (Triticum turgidum)

Background: Common wheat (Triticum aestivum) and durum wheat (T. turgidum) are both involved in Baker's asthma (BA) and food allergy (FA) including wheat-dependent exercise-induced asthma (WDEIA). However, allergens in durum wheat have not been described, and the over-expression of T. turgidum non-specific lipid-transfer protein (nsLTPs) is considered to increase resistance to phytopathogens. Objective: To identify and assess the allergenicity of nsLTP from T. turgidum. Methods: Recombinant T. turgidum nsLTP Tri tu 14 was generated and tested for structural integrity (circular dichroism-spectroscopy) and purity (SDS-PAGE). Thirty-two wheat allergic patients were enrolled: 20 Spanish patients (BA) with positive bronchial challenge to wheat flour, and 12 Italian patients (wheat FA/WDEIA) with positive double-blind placebo-controlled food challenge/open food challenge (OFC) to pasta. IgE values to wheat, Tri tu 14, Tri a 14 (T. aestivum) and Pru p 3 (P. persica) were determined by ImmunoCAP testing. Allergenic potency (in vitro mediator release) and IgE cross-reactivity were investigated. Results: Tri tu 14 was found to share 49% and 52% amino acid identity with Tri a 14 and Pru p 3, respectively. Among 25 Tri a 14 CAP positive sera, 23 (92%) were reactive to wheat extract, 22 (88%) to Tri tu 14 and 20 (80%) to Pru p 3. The correlation between Tri a 14 and Tri tu 14 specific IgE levels was r = 0.97 (BA) and r = 0.93 (FA/WDEIA), respectively. FA/WDEIA patients showed higher specific IgE values to Tri tu 14 and Pru p 3 than BA patients. Tri tu 14 displayed allergenic activity by mediator release from effector cells and IgE cross-reactivity with Pru p 3. The degree of IgE cross-reactivity between the two wheat nsLTPs varied between individual patients. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Sensitization to Tri tu 14 likely appears to be more important in wheat FA/WDEIA than in BA. Over-expression of Tri tu 14 in wheat would represent a risk for patients with nsLTP-mediated FA