246 research outputs found

    Born to Parse

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    An argument that children are born to assign structures to their ambient language, yielding a view of language variation not based on parameters defined at UG. In this book, David Lightfoot argues that just as some birds are born to chirp, humans are born to parse—predisposed to assign linguistic structures to their ambient external language. This approach to language acquisition makes two contributions to the development of Minimalist thinking. First, it minimizes grammatical theory, dispensing with three major entities: parameters; an evaluation metric for the selection of grammars; and any independent parsing mechanism. Instead, Lightfoot argues, children parse their ambient external language using their internal language. Universal Grammar is “open,” consistent with what children learn through parsing with their internal language system. Second, this understanding of language acquisition yields a new view of variable properties in language—properties that occur only in certain languages. Under the open UG vision, very specific language particularities arise in response to new parses. Both external and internal languages play crucial, interacting roles: unstructured, amorphous external language is parsed and an internal language system results. Lightfoot explores case studies that show such innovative parses of external language in the history of English: development of modal verbs, loss of verb movement, and nineteenth-century changes in the syntax of the verb to be. He then discusses how children learn through parsing; the role of parsing at the syntactic structure's interface with the externalization system and logical form; language change; and variable properties seen through the lens of an open UG

    Chomsky's I-languages: Rethinking catastrophic changes

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    Languages sometimes undergo major shifts, when multiple phenomena change together, often called catastrophes, phase transitions, or saltations. Recently Emonds and Faarlund (2014) argued for a major shift when the syntax of Middle English was largely replaced by Scandinavian syntax. Their proposal was met with hostility by historians of English, committed to the gradualness of change. However, if one thinks in terms of internal languages holding of individuals (‘I-languages’ in Chomsky 1986) and not of languages as wholes or Chomsky's ‘E-language’, we can follow the methods of population biology and understand better the mechanisms of such major shifts

    Genomic regions that underlie soybean seed isoflavone content

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    Soy products contain isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, and glycitein)that display biological effects when ingested by humans and animals, these effects are species, dose and age dependent. Therefore, the content and quality of isoflavones in soybeans is a key to their biological effect. Our objective was to identify loci that underlie isoflavone content in soybean seeds. The study involved 100 recombinant inbred lines (RIL)fr om the cross of ‘Essex’ by ‘Forrest,’ two cultivars that contrast for isoflavone content. Isoflavone content of seeds fromeach RIL was determined by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The distribution of isoflavone content was continuous and unimodal. The heritability estimates on a line mean basis were 79% for daidzein, 22% for genistein, and 88% for glycitein. Isoflavone content of soybean seeds was compared against 150 polymorphic DNA markers in a one-way analysis of variance. Four genomic regions were found to be significantly associated with the isoflavone content of soybean seeds across both locations and years. Molecular linkage group B1 contained a major QTL underlying glycitein content (P = 0.0001,R2 = 50.2%), linkage group N contained a QTL for glycitein (P = 0.0033,R2 = 11.1%)and a QTL for daidzein (P = 0.0023,R2 = 10.3%) and linkage group A1 contained a QTL for daidzein (P = 0.0081,R2 = 9.6%). Selection for these chromosomal regions in a marker assisted selection program will allow for the manipulation of amounts and profiles of isoflavones (genistein, daidzein, and glycitein)c ontent of soybean seeds. In addition, tightly linked markers can be used in map based cloning of genes associated with isoflavone content

    Household networks and emergent territory: a GIS study of Chumash households, villages and rock-art in South-Central California

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    Elite households of the Californian Chumash have been studied in order to understand the development of Late Holocene hunter-gatherer alliance networks. Equally, models of what has been termed ‘tribelet territories’ have been used to describe land ownership within larger Californian concepts. Surprisingly little research has explicitly addressed issues of how such territories may have developed. In this article, we turn to DeLanda’s philosophy of social complexity to consider how Chumash households may have underpinned the development of tribelet territories and the political implications for their articulation with wider alliances. Importantly, utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we analyse potential mobility patterns in relation to households, villages and rock-art locales in a case from the Emigdiano Chumash. The results suggest that the painting of rock art was imbricated within processes of territorialization, and that the local placement of art reflects which villages were home to particularly high-status households

    A qualitative stakeholder analysis of avian influenza policy in Bangladesh

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    Avian influenza is a major animal and public health concern in Bangladesh. A decade after development and implementation of the first national avian influenza and human pandemic influenza preparedness and response plan in Bangladesh, a two-stage qualitative stakeholder analysis was performed in relation to the policy development process and the actual policy. This study specifically aimed to identify the future policy options to prevent and control avian influenza and other poultry-related zoonotic diseases in Bangladesh. It was recommended that the policy should be based on the One Health concept, be evidence-based, sustainable, reviewed and updated as necessary. The future policy environment that is suitable for developing and implementing these policies should take into account the following points: the need to formally engage multiple sectors, the need for clear and acceptable leadership, roles and responsibilities, and the need for a common pool of resources and provision for transferring resources. Most of these recommendations are directed towards the Government of Bangladesh. However, other sectors, including research and poultry production stakeholders, also have a major role to play to inform policy-making and actively participate in the multi-sectoral approach

    1960: Abilene Christian College Lectures - Full Text

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    Table of Contents: Theme Speeches: Christian Faith in the Modern World Basis of Faith - Leonard Mullens - 9 Authority in Christianity - John T. Smithson, Jr. - 27 Origin and Preservation of the Bible - Neil R. Lightfoot - 44 Alleged Discrepancies of the Bible - David H. Bobo - 62 The Unity of the Bible - Jack Meyer - 91 Faith and Reason - Joe Sanders - 115 The Reasonableness of Supernaturalism - Virgil Trout - 126 The Present Statue of the Doctrine of Organic Evolution - J.D. Thomas - 146 The Nature of Man - Roy F. Osborne, Jr. - 181 Modern Challenges to Christian Morals - Carl Spain - 199 The Christ, Whose Son is He? - Gordon Teel - 232 Special Speeches Teaching the Word of God in Korea - L. Haskell Chessfire - 255 The Influence of Christian Education - Judge Jack Pope - 276 Mission Opportunities in the Far East - Harry Robert Fox - 288 Mission Work in Austria - Robert Skelton - 303 Report from Switzerland - Heinrich Blum - 313 The Work in Nigeria - Rees Byrant - 320 The Training of Evangelists in Foreign Fields - Reiner Kallus - 331 Christian Scholarships - Everett Ferguson - 340 Evangelizing the World - A.R. Holton - 349 Panel Discussions The Significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls The Scrolls and the Text of the Bible - Paul Rotenberry - 357 The Relation between the Religion of the Essenes and that of Early Christians - Jay Smith - 366 Biblical Interpretation Expediency and Pattern Authority - J.W. Roberts - 381 Examples in Pattern Authority - Thomas B. Warren - 392 Mental Health and Sin The Present State of Mental Health Knowledge - Donald R. Sime - 409 The Relationship of Mental Health Problems to Sin - Paul Easley - 421 The Teenager The Problems of Youth - Mack Wayne Craig - 432 Influences for Good - Wyatt Sawyer - 443 The Benefits of Abilene Christian College To the Church - Hulen Jackson - 451 To The Home - Robert S. Bell - 459 \u27To the Community - Louie Welch - 465 Expenses At Abilene Christian College - James C. Kerr - 469 The Graduate School at Abilene Christian College What I Am Getting Now in the ACC Graduate Program - Harold Vanderpool - 475 How the ACC Graduate Program Has Stood Up - Everett Ferguson - 481 What the ACC Graduate Program Ought To Be - Frank Pack - 486 The Importance to the Church of the ACC Graduate Program A.R. Holton - 490 Beware: Large File Size Uploaded by Jackson Hage

    Selection of a core set of RILs from Forrest × Williams 82 to develop a framework map in soybean

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    Soybean BAC-based physical maps provide a useful platform for gene and QTL map-based cloning, EST mapping, marker development, genome sequencing, and comparative genomic research. Soybean physical maps for “Forrest” and “Williams 82” representing the southern and northern US soybean germplasm base, respectively, have been constructed with different fingerprinting methods. These physical maps are complementary for coverage of gaps on the 20 soybean linkage groups. More than 5,000 genetic markers have been anchored onto the Williams 82 physical map, but only a limited number of markers have been anchored to the Forrest physical map. A mapping population of Forrest × Williams 82 made up of 1,025 F8 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) was used to construct a reference genetic map. A framework map with almost 1,000 genetic markers was constructed using a core set of these RILs. The core set of the population was evaluated with the theoretical population using equality, symmetry and representativeness tests. A high-resolution genetic map will allow integration and utilization of the physical maps to target QTL regions of interest, and to place a larger number of markers into a map in a more efficient way using a core set of RILs

    Consequences of epistasis on growth in an erhualian × white duroc pig cross

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    Epistasis describes an interaction between the effects of loci. We included epistasis in quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of growth at a series of ages in a cross of a Chinese pig breed, Erhualian, with a commercial line, White Duroc. Erhualian pigs have much lower growth rates than White Duroc. We improved a method for genomewide testing of epistasis and present a clear analysis workflow. We also suggest a new approach for interpreting epistasis results where significant additive and dominance effects of a locus in specific backgrounds are determined. In total, seventeen QTL were found and eleven showed epistasis. Loci on chromosomes 2, 3, 4 and 7 were highlighted as affecting growth at more than one age or forming an interaction network. Epistasis resulted in both the QTL on chromosomes 3 and 7 having effects in opposite directions. We believe it is the first time for the chromosome 7 locus that an allele from a Chinese breed has been found to decrease growth. The consequences of epistasis were diverse. Results were impacted by using growth rather than body weight as the phenotype and by correcting for an effect of mother. Epistasis made a considerable contribution to growth in this population and modelling epistasis was important for accurately determining QTL effects

    Lupus-related single nucleotide polymorphisms and risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

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    Objective: Determinants of the increased risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in SLE are unclear. Using data from a recent lymphoma genome-wide association study (GWAS), we assessed whether certain lupus-related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were also associated with DLBCL. Methods: GWAS data on European Caucasians from the International Lymphoma Epidemiology Consortium (InterLymph) provided a total of 3857 DLBCL cases and 7666 general-population controls. Data were pooled in a random-effects meta-analysis. Results: Among the 28 SLE-related SNPs investigated, the two most convincingly associated with risk of DLBCL included the CD40 SLE risk allele rs4810485 on chromosome 20q13 (OR per risk allele=1.09, 95% CI 1.02 to 1.16, p=0.0134), and the HLA SLE risk allele rs1270942 on chromosome 6p21.33 (OR per risk allele=1.17, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.36, p=0.0362). Of additional possible interest were rs2205960 and rs12537284. The rs2205960 SNP, related to a cytokine of the tumour necrosis factor superfamily TNFSF4, was associated with an OR per risk allele of 1.07, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.16, p=0.0549. The OR for the rs12537284 (chromosome 7q32, IRF5 gene) risk allele was 1.08, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.18, p=0.0765. Conclusions: These data suggest several plausible genetic links between DLBCL and SLE
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