24 research outputs found

    No evidence for reduced Simon cost in elderly bilinguals and bidialectals

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    We explored whether a bilingual advantage in executive control is associated with differences in cultural and ethnic background associated with the bilinguals’ immigrant status, and whether dialect use in monolinguals can also incur such an advantage. Performance on the Simon task in older non-immigrant (Gaelic-English) and immigrant (Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Malay, Punjabi, Urdu-English) bilinguals was compared with three groups of older monolingual English speakers, who were either monodialectal users of the same English variety as the bilinguals or were bidialectal users of a local variety of Scots. Results showed no group differences in overall reaction times as well as in the Simon effect thus providing no evidence that an executive control advantage is related to differences in cultural and ethnic background as was found for immigrant compared to non-immigrant bilinguals, nor that executive control may be improved by use of dialect. We suggest the role of interactional contexts and bilingual literacy as potential explanations for inconsistent findings of a bilingual advantage in executive control

    AHC interview with Vera Mamber.

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    November 19, 2008Vera Mamber, née Bruckenstein, was born on March 7, 1927 in Vienna, Austria. She lived with her parents in the 8th district. In August 1939, her parents sent her to England on a Kindertransport. She stayed with an old lady for one year, until her father came to pick her up and to immigrate to the United States. She lived in Boston until she met her husband, Alfred Mamber (AHC 2948). They moved to Washington Heights in New York City and started a retail business. They retired to Bayside, Queens.Austrian Heritage Collectio

    Sleeping with Elevated Upper Body Does Not Attenuate Acute Mountain Sickness: Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial

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    PURPOSE: Acute mountain sickness commonly occurs following ascent to high altitude and is aggravated following sleep. Cephalad fluid shifts have been implicated. We hypothesized that sleeping with the upper body elevated by 30 degrees reduces the risk of acute mountain sickness. METHODS: In a pragmatic, randomized, observer-blinded field study at 4554 meters altitude, we investigated 134 adults aged 18-70 years with a Lake Louise score between 3 and 12 points on the evening of their arrival at the altitude. The individuals were exposed to sleeping on an inflatable cushion elevating the upper body by 30 degrees or on a sham pillow in a horizontal position. The primary endpoint was the change in the Acute Mountain Sickness-Cerebral (AMS-C) score in the morning after sleeping at an altitude of 4554 meters compared with the evening before. Sleep efficiency was the secondary endpoint. RESULTS: Among 219 eligible mountaineers, 134 fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were randomized. The AMS-C score increased by 0.250 +/- 0.575 in the control group and by 0.121 +/- 0.679 in the intervention group (difference 0.105; 95% confidence interval, -0.098-0.308; P = .308). Oxygen saturation in the morning was 79% +/- 6% in the intervention group and 78% +/- 6% in the control group (P = .863). Sleep efficiency did not differ between groups (P = .115). CONCLUSIONS: Sleeping with the upper body elevated by 30 degrees does not lead to relevant reductions in acute mountain sickness symptoms or hypoxemia at high altitude. (C) 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
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