Reanalysis and lingering misinterpretation of linguistic dependencies in native and non-native sentence comprehension

Research on temporarily ambiguous “garden path” sentences (e.g., After Mary dressed the baby laughed) has shown that initially assigned misinterpretations linger after reanalysis of the temporarily ambiguous phrase in both native (L1) and non-native (L2) readers. L2 speakers have particular difficulty with reanalysis, but the source of this L1/L2 difference is debated. Furthermore, how lingering misinterpretation may influence other aspects of language processing has not been systematically examined. We report three offline and two online experiments investigating reanalysis and misinterpretation of filler-gap dependences (e.g., Elisa noticed the truck which the policeman watched the car from). Our results showed that L1 and L2 speakers are prone to lingering misinterpretation during dependency resolution. L1/L2 differences were observed such that L2 speakers had increased difficulty reanalysing some filler-gap dependencies, however this was dependent on how the dependency was disambiguated. These results are compatible with the “good enough” approach to language processing, and suggest that L1/L2 differences are more likely when reanalysis is particularly difficult

Acute inflammatory myelopathies

Inflammatory injury to the spinal cord causes a well-recognized clinical syndrome. Patients typically develop bilateral weakness, usually involving the legs, although the arms may also become affected, in association with a pattern of sensory changes that suggests a spinal cord dermatomal level. Bowel and bladder impairment is also common in many patients. Recognition of the clinical pattern of spinal cord injury should lead clinicians to perform imaging studies to evaluate for compressive etiologies. MRI of the spine is particularly useful in helping visualize intraparenchymal lesions and when these lesions enhance following contrast administration a diagnosis of myelitis is made. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis can also confirm a diagnosis of myelitis when a leukocytosis is present. There are many causes of non-compressive spinal cord injury including infectious, parainfectious, toxic, nutritional, vascular, systemic as well as idiopathic inflammatory etiologies. This review focuses on inflammatory spinal cord injury and its relationships with multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and systemic collagen vascular and paraneoplastic diseases

Incidence of Acute vs Chronic Post-op Complications Following TAA: Are They Preventable?

Category: Ankle Arthritis Introduction/Purpose: Total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) is becoming an increasingly common procedure with high patient satisfaction and improved outcomes. Although previous studies have explored various patient outcomes, there is variability in reporting methods and acute and chronic complications following TAA are poorly described. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acute and chronic postoperative complications in patients undergoing TAA at our institution. Methods: Following institutional board approval, a retrospective chart review was conducted for all patients who underwent TAA from 2002-2017 at our institution. Patients were followed from the time of surgery to their 1 year follow-up. Demographics and post-op complications were recorded at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, and 1 year following surgery. Results: At our institution from 2002-2017, a total of 187 patients underwent TAA. The mean age of our cohort was 62.8 (Range 20-68). In our cohort, 106 were male and 81 were female, and the mean patient BMI was 31.6 (Range 33-89). At 4 weeks post- operatively, the most common acute complication was superficial infection (4.8%). Within 6 weeks post-operatively, 1 patient had a VTE (0.53%). The highest chronic complication following TAA was post-operative pain – 12.3% patients reported significant post-operative pain 1 year following surgery. 9.6% patients required hardware removal greater than 1 year following TAA. Conclusion: At our institution the most common acute complication at 4 weeks following TAA was surgical site infection (4.8%). The most common chronic complication was post-operative pain (12.3%). Further investigation is needed to understand the greatest contributing factors to these complications and future studies will focus on methods to minimize surgical site infection and post-operative pain following TAA

Out-group threats and distress as antecedents of common in-group identity among majority and minority group members in the aftermath of a natural disaster

The aim of the present study was to examine the role of out-group threats in fostering one-group perceptions directly and indirectly via post-traumatic stress symptoms in the aftermath of a natural disaster. We also tested whether these relationships differ depending on the ethnic group of belonging (majority vs. minority). Participants were 589 Italians and 122 immigrants from a region strongly affected by the earthquakes that struck Northern Italy in 2012. Results revealed that among Italians threat stemming from negative out-group behaviour was associated positively with post-traumatic stress symptoms and negatively with perceptions of being a common group with immigrant survivors. Among immigrants, threat posed by the out-group for economic resources was positively associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms and, indirectly, with higher one-group perceptions

To Cut or to Cast? An Evaluation of Demographics & Mortality in Operative, Conservative, and Failed- Conservative Management of Charcot Neuroarthropathy

Category: Midfoot/Forefoot; Diabetes Introduction/Purpose: Charcot neuroarthropathy (CN) is a chronic, destructive disease linked with diabetic neuropathy that affects the bone structure, joints, and soft tissues of the foot. Treatment can vary from a conservative shoe modification to a below-the-knee amputation (BKA). With no evidence based guidelines for CN management, treatment regimens are physician specific and dependent on stage of CN, comorbidities, and ulceration status. Further, no previous literature has compared the mortality rates of patients that are treated with casting versus common surgical procedures for CN. Here, we provide demographic and all-cause mortality data for patients who underwent casting, arthrodesis, exostectomy, and amputation, to evaluate the outcomes and characterize the populations treated for Charcot neuroarthropathy of the foot. Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained. A database of all patients from 1/1/2000 to 1/31/2022 with CPT and ICD codes indicating a diagnosis of Charcot neuroarthropathy who underwent exostectomy, arthrodesis, minor amputation, major amputation, and/or casting was created from the electronic medical record. Demographic and mortality data was collected, including date-of-birth, sex, race, and all-cause mortality. Procedure data was collected, which included date, code, and description. Major amputations include transtibial and trans-metatarsal, whereas minor amputations include toe and metatarsal. In the casting group, patients were separated into two groups: casting as the sole intervention and failed casting that ultimately went on to have surgery. Patients who had postoperative casting or multiple instances of casting and surgery were excluded. Descriptive statistics were conducted and single-factor ANOVA and Chi squared tests were used for analysis. Results: A total of 2,130 patients were identified; 546 had arthrodesis, 488 had exostectomy, 677 had minor amputations, 332 had major amputations, 64 had casting only, and 23 failed casting. Of the 23 patients who failed casting and went on to have surgery, 11 had arthrodesis, 5 had exostectomy, 4 had minor amputation, and 3 had major amputation. The average overall was 57.7 ± 13.9. Mortality rates were 10.3%, 11.3%, 34.0%, 32.2%, 7.8%, 17.4% in the arthrodesis, exostectomy, minor amputation, major amputation, casting only, and failed casting groups, respectively (Figures 1A and 1B). Of those that failed casting and then had surgery, arthrodesis was the most common procedure. Conclusion: Treatment options for patients with CN range from simple casting to invasive amputation. Overall, patients who underwent casting as their sole intervention had a significantly lower all-cause mortality (7.8%) compared to those who had amputation (34% for minor amputations and 32.2% for major amputations). There was no significant difference in all-cause mortality between casting only and failed casting groups. These findings demonstrate a significant disparity in outcomes between conservative and operative management for CN. Understanding the mortality of the various treatment options for CN can help optimize standards of care to improve patient outcomes