On the boundaries between syntax and pragmatics in Ibero-Romance

Synopsis: This book offers a comparative perspective on the structural and interpretive properties of root-clause complementizers in Ibero-Romance. The driving question the author seeks to answer is where the boundaries between syntax and pragmatics lie in these languages. Contrary to most previous work on these phenomena, the author argues in favor of a relatively strict distribution of labor between the two components of grammar. The first part of the book is devoted to root complementizers with a reportative interpretation. The second part deals with root complementizers and commitment attribution. Finally, the last part presents the results of empirical studies on the topic

Complementizers on edge

This book offers a comparative perspective on the structural and interpretive properties of root-clause complementizers in Ibero-Romance. The driving question the author seeks to answer is where the boundaries between syntax and pragmatics lie in these languages. Contrary to most previous work on these phenomena, the author argues in favor of a relatively strict distribution of labor between the two components of grammar. The first part of the book is devoted to root complementizers with a reportative interpretation. The second part deals with root complementizers and commitment attribution. Finally, the last part presents the results of empirical studies on the topic

A surprise in the past : The historical origins of the Catalan go-past

Peer reviewe

(Ko-)konstruktivistisch, kompetenzorientiert und adaptiv unterrichten lernen

Die Studie verfolgte das Ziel, videobasiert (ko-)konstruktivistische und kompetenzorientierte, adaptive Lehrkompetenz bei angehenden (IG I) sowie erfahrenen Lehrpersonen, die als Praxislehrpersonen das Quartalspraktikum (QP) der Ersteren betreuen (IG II), zu fördern. Thematisiert wird das Theorie-Praxis-Problem. Mit der dreiteiligen doppelten Intervention lernten angehende und erfahrene Lehrpersonen, Art und Qualität ihres auf Video aufgenommenen Unterrichts wissenschaftsbasiert zu analysieren und zu beurteilen. Zur Verbindung von „Theorie“ und „Praxis“ kamen im Quartalspraktikum (QP) Tools zum Einsatz. Von acht Datenerhebungsinstrumenten zur Überprüfung der Intervention zeigen die präsentierten Ergebnisse zur Selbsteinschätzung der eigenen Lehrkompetenz Anstiege bei beiden Interventionsgruppen. Sie werden jenen von angehenden Lehrpersonen, die die bestehende berufspraktische Ausbildung durchliefen und im QP von Praxislehrpersonen ohne Teilnahme an der Intervention betreut wurden (KG I und II), gegenübergestellt

Verhaltensökonomische Maßnahmen für mehr Sauberkeit im Gemeindebau

Müll und Verschmutzung reduzieren das Wohlbefinden und die Zufriedenheit von Gemeindebau-BewohnerInnen. Verhaltensökonomische Ansätze „stupsen“ erwünschte Verhaltensweisen sanft an und können, potenziell kostengünstig, Sauberkeit und damit die Lebensqualität der Menschen erhöhen. Im vorliegenden Bericht wird die wissenschaftliche Literatur zu Verhaltensursachen von Vermüllung und internationale Best-Practice-Beispiele zur Anwendung der Verhaltensökonomie bei der Müllreduktion vorgestellt. Auf Basis von qualitativen Interviews mit HausbesorgerInnen werden für den Wiener Gemeindebau die Verhaltenstreiber besonders relevanter Verschmutzungsarten wie achtloses Wegwerfen (Littering), Verschmutzung des Müllraumes und illegale Sperrmüll-Ablagerung genau analysiert. Maßgeschneiderte verhaltensökonomische Maßnahmen, von Abstimmungs-Mülleimer („Ballot Bins“), Klang-Treppen, übergroßen Malereien von Babygesichtern bis zu Hinweistafeln zur Zerkleinerung von Kartons, werden als mögliche Abhilfe diskutiert. Zum Schluss wird beispielhaft das Design von zwei Feldexperimenten zur rigorosen Evaluierung der vorgeschlagenen Maßnahmen vorgestellt

Whole brain radiotherapy after local treatment of brain metastases in melanoma patients - a randomised phase III trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Cerebral metastases are a common cause of death in patients with melanoma. Systemic drug treatment of these metastases is rarely effective, and where possible surgical resection and/or stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) are the preferred treatment options. Treatment with adjuvant whole brain radiotherapy (WBRT) following neurosurgery and/or SRS is controversial. Proponents of WBRT report prolongation of intracranial control with reduced neurological events and better palliation. Opponents state melanoma is radioresistant; that WBRT yields no survival benefit and may impair neurocognitive function. These opinions are based largely on studies in other tumour types in which assessment of neurocognitive function has been incomplete.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>This trial is an international, prospective multi-centre, open-label, phase III randomised controlled trial comparing WBRT to observation following local treatment of intracranial melanoma metastases with surgery and/or SRS. Patients aged 18 years or older with 1-3 brain metastases excised and/or stereotactically irradiated and an ECOG status of 0-2 are eligible. Patients with leptomeningeal disease, or who have had previous WBRT or localised treatment for brain metastases are ineligible. WBRT prescription is at least 30 Gy in 10 fractions commenced within 8 weeks of surgery and/or SRS. Randomisation is stratified by the number of cerebral metastases, presence or absence of extracranial disease, treatment centre, sex, radiotherapy dose and patient age. The primary endpoint is the proportion of patients with distant intracranial failure as determined by MRI assessment at 12 months. Secondary end points include: survival, quality of life, performance status and neurocognitive function.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Accrual to previous trials for patients with brain metastases has been difficult, mainly due to referral bias for or against WBRT. This trial should provide the evidence that is currently lacking in treatment decision-making for patients with melanoma brain metastases. The trial is conducted by the Australia and New Zealand Melanoma Trials Group (ANZMTG-study 01-07), and the Trans Tasman Radiation Oncology Group (TROG) but international participation is encouraged. Twelve sites are open to date with 43 patients randomised as of the 31st March 2011. The target accrual is 200 patients.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ANZCTR): <a href="http://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12607000512426.aspx">ACTRN12607000512426</a></p

Phenotype Harmonization in the GLIDE2 Oral Health Genomics Consortium

Genetic risk factors play important roles in the etiology of oral, dental, and craniofacial diseases. Identifying the relevant risk loci and understanding their molecular biology could highlight new prevention and management avenues. Our current understanding of oral health genomics suggests that dental caries and periodontitis are polygenic diseases, and very large sample sizes and informative phenotypic measures are required to discover signals and adequately map associations across the human genome. In this article, we introduce the second wave of the Gene-Lifestyle Interactions and Dental Endpoints consortium (GLIDE2) and discuss relevant data analytics challenges, opportunities, and applications. In this phase, the consortium comprises a diverse, multiethnic sample of over 700,000 participants from 21 studies contributing clinical data on dental caries experience and periodontitis. We outline the methodological challenges of combining data from heterogeneous populations, as well as the data reduction problem in resolving detailed clinical examination records into tractable phenotypes, and describe a strategy that addresses this. Specifically, we propose a 3-tiered phenotyping approach aimed at leveraging both the large sample size in the consortium and the detailed clinical information available in some studies, wherein binary, severity-encompassing, and "precision," data-driven clinical traits are employed. As an illustration of the use of data-driven traits across multiple cohorts, we present an application of dental caries experience data harmonization in 8 participating studies (N = 55,143) using previously developed permanent dentition tooth surface-level dental caries pattern traits. We demonstrate that these clinical patterns are transferable across multiple cohorts, have similar relative contributions within each study, and thus are prime targets for genetic interrogation in the expanded and diverse multiethnic sample of GLIDE2. We anticipate that results from GLIDE2 will decisively advance the knowledge base of mechanisms at play in oral, dental, and craniofacial health and disease and further catalyze international collaboration and data and resource sharing in genomics research.Peer reviewe

Hundreds of variants clustered in genomic loci and biological pathways affect human height

Most common human traits and diseases have a polygenic pattern of inheritance: DNA sequence variants at many genetic loci influence the phenotype. Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have identified more than 600 variants associated with human traits, but these typically explain small fractions of phenotypic variation, raising questions about the use of further studies. Here, using 183,727 individuals, we show that hundreds of genetic variants, in at least 180 loci, influence adult height, a highly heritable and classic polygenic trait. The large number of loci reveals patterns with important implications for genetic studies of common human diseases and traits. First, the 180 loci are not random, but instead are enriched for genes that are connected in biological pathways (P = 0.016) and that underlie skeletal growth defects (P < 0.001). Second, the likely causal gene is often located near the most strongly associated variant: in 13 of 21 loci containing a known skeletal growth gene, that gene was closest to the associated variant. Third, at least 19 loci have multiple independently associated variants, suggesting that allelic heterogeneity is a frequent feature of polygenic traits, that comprehensive explorations of already-discovered loci should discover additional variants and that an appreciable fraction of associated loci may have been identified. Fourth, associated variants are enriched for likely functional effects on genes, being over-represented among variants that alter amino-acid structure of proteins and expression levels of nearby genes. Our data explain approximately 10% of the phenotypic variation in height, and we estimate that unidentified common variants of similar effect sizes would increase this figure to approximately 16% of phenotypic variation (approximately 20% of heritable variation). Although additional approaches are needed to dissect the genetic architecture of polygenic human traits fully, our findings indicate that GWA studies can identify large numbers of loci that implicate biologically relevant genes and pathways.