Investigating word order emergence:Constraints from cognition and communication

How do cognitive biases and mechanisms from learning and use interact when a system of language conventions emerges? We investigate this question by focusing on how transitive events are conveyed in silent gesture production and interaction. Silent gesture experiments (in which participants improvise to use gesture but no speech) have been used to investigate cognitive biases that shape utterances produced in the absence of a conventional language system. In this mode of communication, participants do not follow the dominant order of their native language (e.g., Subject-Verb-Object), and instead condition the structure on the semantic properties of the events they are conveying. An important source of variability in structure in silent gesture is the property of reversibility. Reversible events typically have two animate participants whose roles can be reversed (girl kicks boy). Without a syntactic/conventional means of conveying who does what to whom, there is inherent unclarity about the agent and patient roles in the event (by contrast, this is less pressing for non-reversible events like girl kicks ball). In experiment 1 we test a novel, fine-grained analysis of reversibility. Presenting a silent gesture production experiment, we show that the variability in word order depends on two factors (properties of the verb and properties of the direct object) that together determine how reversible an event is. We relate our experimental results to principles from information theory, showing that our data support the “noisy channel” account of constituent order. In experiment 2, we focus on the influence of interaction on word order variability for reversible and non-reversible events. We show that when participants use silent gesture for communicative interaction, they become more consistent in their usage of word order over time, however, this pattern less pronounced for events that are classified as strongly non-reversible. We conclude that full consistency in word order is theoretically a good strategy, but word order use in practice is a more complex phenomenon

Weight-regulation in karate athletes: prevalence, magnitude, and methods of weight loss, mood profiles, and eating attitudes

Aim: This study examined the prevalence and methods of weight loss and explored associations between self-regulation of eating in sport, mood, and eating attitudes in a sample of competitive karate athletes using self-report methods. Methods: Fifty-eight karate athletes were recruited from amateur karate clubs in England. Participants were grouped as lightweight (Female: 61 kg, n = 16; Male: >75 kg, n = 9) competitors. Participants completed a cross-sectional self-report online questionnaire survey regarding weight-loss practices, mood, self-regulation of eating in sport, and eating attitudes, measured with the Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS), Self Regulation of Eating Attitudes in Sports Scale (SREASS), and Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26). Results: 43.1% of the athletes surveyed were trying to lose weight to compete. The most common weight loss methods were food restriction (65.5%), intense exercise/increased training (56.9%), and drink restriction/dehydration (37.9%). 48.2% reported always practicing their preferred weight-loss methods (WLMs) before competition. 63.8% of athletes either agreed or highly agreed that WLMs were effective, yet only 25.9% agreed or highly agreed that they were safe. 20.7% either agreed or highly agreed that WLMs provided them with a competitive advantage, while 46.6% reported that WLMs negatively impacted performance. The most common sources of weight-cutting advice were other athletes (44.8%), coaches (41.4%,) and teammates (34.5%). Collectively, for males, trying to lose weight before competition was characterised by a positive iceberg mood profile with high vigour; whilst females self-reported a negative mood profile characterised by higher scores for all negative mood dimensions, although mood states differed for male lightweight and female heavyweight athletes. Findings showed that depression and fatigue correlated significantly with dieting, bulimia and food preoccupation, and oral control. Anger, 8 confusion, and tension showed significant positive correlations with dieting and bulimia, and food preoccupation, but showed no significant correlation with oral control. Vigour showed a significant negative correlation with dieting and bulimia and food preoccupation but showed no significant negative correlation with oral control. Female athletes reported higher Global EAT-26 scores than males. Eleven females and one male reported EAT-26 scores >20. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings suggest that weight loss and use of weight loss methods is prevalent in karate. Such practices appear to be influenced by the club training environment and appear to be associated with negative mood responses and attitudes towards eating among female karate athletes. Gender and weight-classification differences for mood and eating attitudes warrant further investigation

Comparison of In Vitro Stereoselective Metabolism of Bupropion in Human, Monkey, Rat, and Mouse Liver Microsomes

Background and Objectives Bupropion is an atypical antidepressant and smoking cessation aid associated with wide intersubject variability. This study compared the formation kinetics of three phase I metabolites (hydroxybupropion, threohydrobupropion, and erythrohydrobupropion) in human, marmoset, rat, and mouse liver microsomes. The objective was to establish suitability and limitations for subsequent use of nonclinical species to model bupropion central nervous system (CNS) disposition in humans. Methods Hepatic microsomal incubations were conducted separately for the R- and S-bupropion enantiomers, and the formation of enantiomer-specific metabolites was determined using LC-MS/MS. Intrinsic formation clearance (CLint) of metabolites across the four species was determined from the formation rate versus substrate concentration relationship. Results The total clearance of S-bupropion was higher than that of R-bupropion in monkey and human liver microsomes. The contribution of hydroxybupropion to the total racemic bupropion clearance was 38%, 62%, 17%, and 96% in human, monkey, rat, and mouse, respectively. In the same species order, threohydrobupropion contributed 53%, 23%, 17%, and 3%, and erythrohydrobupropion contributed 9%, 14%, 66%, and 1.3%, respectively, to racemic bupropion clearance. Conclusion The results demonstrate that phase I metabolism in monkeys best approximates that observed in humans, and support the preferred use of this species to investigate possible pharmacokinetic factors that influence the CNS disposition of bupropion and contribute to its high intersubject variability

What are ventilation defects in asthma?

BACKGROUND: Hyperpolarised (3)He MRI provides a way to visualise regional pulmonary functional abnormalities that in asthma are thought to be related to airway morphological abnormalities. However, the exact aetiology of ventilation defects in asthma is not well understood. OBJECTIVE: To better understand the determinants of ventilation defects in asthma, we evaluated well-established clinical as well as (3)He MRI and X-ray CT airway measurements in healthy subjects and subjects with asthma. METHODS: Thirty-four subjects (n=26 subjects with asthma, n=8 healthy volunteers) underwent MRI, spirometry, plethysmography, fraction of exhaled nitric oxide analysis, methacholine challenge and CT for a region-of-interest proximal to ventilation defects. For subjects who consented to CT (n=18 subjects with asthma, n=5 healthy volunteers), we evaluated 3(rd) to 5th generation airway wall area and wall thickness per cent and lumen area. RESULTS: Seventeen subjects with asthma (17/26=65%) had visually obvious evidence of (3)He ventilation defects prior to bronchoprovocation and nine subjects with asthma had no ventilation defects prior to bronchoprovocation (9/26=35%). Subjects with asthma with defects were older (p=0.01) with worse forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (p=0.0003), airways resistance (p=0.004), fraction of exhaled nitric oxide (p=0.03), greater bronchoprovocation concentration of methacholine that reduced FEV1 by 20% (p=0.008) and wall thickness per cent (p=0.02) compared with subjects with asthma without defects. There was a moderate correlation for wall area per cent with ventilation defect per cent (r=0.43, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with asthma with (3)He ventilation defects were older with significantly worse airway hyper-responsiveness, inflammation and airway remodelling but similar FEV1 as subjects with asthma without defects; hyperpolarised (3)He ventilation abnormalities were spatially and quantitatively related to abnormally remodelled airways

Effectiveness of Realistic Mathematics Education Approach on Problem-Solving Skills of Students

Mathematics is concerned with the method used in the teaching and learning process in addition to issues encountered in the cognitive domain. The Philippines’ education system is still dominated by traditional mathematics teaching, which frequently overlooks the goal of mathematics education—to prepare students to deal successfully with real-life situations. This affects the declining performance of the students in their overall mathematical ability, especially in problem-solving. Hence, this study utilized a pre-experimental design to measure the effectiveness of the Realistic Mathematics Education (RME) approach in the problem-solving skills of the students in terms of understanding the problem, devising a plan, carrying out the plan, and looking back. Furthermore, the cluster sampling technique was used in choosing thirty-five grade 9 students and evaluated their problem-solving ability using a pre-test and post-test assessments. Based on the result, there is a highly significant difference in the mean pre-test and post-test performance of the respondent before and after using the RME approach in all the four phases of problem-solving (p-value=0.000). This implies that the RME is an effective teaching approach that successfully improved the mathematical proficiency of the students, especially in all aspects of problem-solving skills. The findings verify that educators can use the RME approach to expose their students to more collaborative teaching-learning processes that incorporate real-world scenarios. Future researchers may also conduct a similar study in face-to-face learning to comprehensively use the RME approach

The design and construction of a simulated linac control area (SLCA) for Radiation Therapy

Purpose Knowledge and skills needed by radiation therapists (therapeutic radiographers) in cutting edge radiation therapy are wide ranging – combining care for patients with high level technical and medical skills. In the UK pre-registration training takes place in both university and clinical departments. But increasing pressures on clinical departments means training time is limited; extending training into simulated environments has been proven to be highly effective [1] giving students more time to learn and develop, in a safe, non-clinical environment, using the same equipment, methods and discipline of the real clinic. This project aims to extend our simulation facilities to include a Linac control area, to complement students’ skills to safely and effectively ensure accurate and precise patient set-up and delivery of treatment. This paper describes the design and construction of such an area within our simulation centre. Methods Our aim was to create an SLCA with hardware and software components for patient selection, set-up, on-treatment image acquisition and registration and radiation delivery (with and without treatment interruptions). Using true-to-life components was as a high priority. The SLCA was designed around ARIA software, our Virtual Environment for RT (VERT) system, an indexed, flatbed motorised couch, a screened area to create a treatment bunker, a CCTV system, a real Linac function keypad with a specially designed MU counter/sound module, real controlled area/radiation on lighting panels and a simulated door interlock system. Results A schematic of the SLCA is shown in fig 1. All electronic components were built or assembled with documented specifications and design briefs. Screens create a ‘bunker’ so students set-up a patient in front of/using the VERT system and leave the room to the SLCA, as in a real bunker. The patient is visible all the time through the CCTV system. Patient and treatment plan can be selected on ARIA. CBCT acquisition and image registration is possible through the VERT system. The function keypad (from a decommissioned Elekta Linac) is interfaced to the MU counter and radiation-on light. MU are programmed into the counter and verified, before ‘beam-on’ is pressed, starting the MU counter, radiation-on sound (at realistic doserates) and radiation-on light. Conclusion All components have been designed and assembled; all work well as per design specification, enabling true-to-life patient set-up, patient selection and plan check, on-treatment CBCT verification and radiation-on effect with sound and light. The MU counter can be programmed with interruptions, so error scenarios can be simulated for training. The SLCA door interlock is being completed so simulated radiation cannot be initiated without a completed door interlock; and simulated radiation is interrupted when the door interlock is broken. Evaluation is on-going with clinical and university staff and UG/PG Radiation Therapy students. Ref: [1] S-J Ketterer et al. Simulated versus traditional therapeutic radiography placements: a randomized controlled trial. Radiog 2020;26:140-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radi.2019.10.005 Keywords: Radiotherapy, Simulation, Lina

Measurement of Organophosphate Pesticides, Organochlorine Pesticides, and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Household Dust from Two Rural Villages in Nepal

Although there are few published studies of residential exposures to environmental contaminants in Nepal, there may be substantial exposures to multiple contaminants in Nepali households. Pesticides, which can be harmful to human health, are often used by Nepali farmers, and many farmers lack an understanding of the appropriate procedures for the safe use, handling and storage of pesticides. In addition, many Nepali families use wood burning stoves, leading to the potential for exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from wood smoke. This study measured the levels of four organophosphate pesticides, 22 organochlorine pesticides, and over thirty polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in house dust from two rural Nepali villages. Floor dust samples were collected in early summer from a total of 18 households, including nine households in the village of Keraghari, in Kavrepalanchok District, and nine homes in the village of Kafaldanda, in Lalitpur District. These villages have similar environmental features and are located at an altitude of approximately 2,000 meters. In these two villages, many of the homes have improved cookstoves to reduce smoke levels in the homes. The dust samples were collected using pre-ashed glass fiber filter cloths saturated with isopropyl alcohol. In both villages, the organochlorine pesticide that was present in the highest concentrations was the DDT metabolite p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (4,4’-DDE). Among the organophosphates, methyl parathion accounted for much of the organophosphate mass detected. Across both villages, the median total organochlorine pesticide value (287 ng/m2) was 5-fold higher than the median total organophosphate pesticide value (54.3 ng/m2). The median total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentration in house dust from both villages was 14,700 ng/m2. Interventions are needed to improve safe handling and use of pesticides in Nepali villages. Additional studies are also needed to assess the extent to which improved cookstoves reduce polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon exposure, during both winter and summer