Spared syntax and impaired spell-out: the case of prepositions in Broca's and anomic aphasia

The present study deals with the impairment of prepositions, a somewhat neglected topic in aphasia research. It is the first to investigate the availability of all types of prepositions (i.e., spatial, temporal, other meaningful, subcategorized, syntactic prepositions, and particles) in a variety of comprehension and production tasks in one anomic aphasic and four Broca’s aphasic patients and healthy speakers. While the availability of spatial, temporal, or subcategorized prepositions has been investigated, other preposition types have never been studied before. The data revealed that prepositions were impaired in the patients, and that the degree of impairment differed for different types of prepositions. Three of the main findings are: first, meaningless prepositions were not the most vulnerable subcategory of prepositions in the patients. In fact, four of the five aphasic patients performed best on (meaningless) syntactic prepositions. Second, patients made few omissions and many substitution errors which were mostly within-category (a preposition was substituted by another preposition). Third, there was no difference in the performance of Broca’s and anomic aphasic patients. These results differ from those of previous studies (e.g., Bennis et al., 1983; Friederici, 1982). They found that (i) meaningful prepositions remained relatively well preserved in Broca’s aphasia, while meaningless subcategorized and/or syntactic prepositions were very impaired, (ii) that Broca’s aphasic patients tended to omit rather than substitute prepositions, and (iii) that patients of contrasting clinical profiles performed differently. The preservation of syntactic prepositions together with the large number of within-category substitutions (which indicate sensitivity to the grammatical class of prepositions) were interpreted to suggest that the preposition deficit of the patients is not due to syntactic impairments. Rather, a post syntactic deficit in selection of the correct preposition at spell-out – a construct in modern linguistic theory that links syntax with phonology – is put forward

Self-initiated butyl acrylate polymerizations in bulk and in solution monitored by in-line techniques

High-temperature acrylate polymerizations are technically relevant, but yet not fully understood. In particular the mechanism and the kinetics of the thermal self-initiation is a topic of current research. To obtain more detailed information the conversion dependence of the polymerization rate, rbr, is determined via in-line DSC and FT-NIR spectroscopy for reactions in bulk and in solution at temperatures ranging from 80 to 160 ◦C. Solution polymerizations revealed that dioxane is associated with the highest rbr, while aromatic solvents result in the lowest values of rbr. Interestingly, rbr for polymerizations in solution with dioxane depends on the actual monomer concentration at a given time in the system, but is not depending on the initial monomer concentration. The overall rate of polymerization in bulk and in solution is well represented by an equation with three or four parameters, respectively, being estimated by multiple linear regression and the temperature as additional parameter

Untersuchung der Hochtemperaturpolymerisation von Acrylaten auf Basis von experimentellen Daten und kinetischen Monte Carlo Simulationen

Die Hochtemperaturpolymerisation von Acrylaten ist industriell aufgrund der hohen Reaktionsgeschwindigkeiten von Interesse, jedoch ist der Mechanismus bei hohen Temperaturen nicht abschließend geklärt. Dies gilt insbesondere für die thermische Selbstinitiierung. Der Schwerpunkt der Arbeit liegt auf der Polymerisation von n-Butylacrylat bei Temperaturen von bis zu 160°C. Die Bestimmung der Bruttopolymerisationsgeschwindigkeit in verschiedenen Lösemitteln erfolgt mittels in-line FT-NIR Spektroskopie. Das Lösemittel beeinflusst die Bruttopolymerisationsgeschwindigkeit signifikant, was nicht auf einen Einfluss auf den Wachstumskoeffizienten kp zurückzuführen ist. Durch Transferreaktionen bilden Acrylate während der radikalischen Polymerisation verzweigte Polymere. Die Analyse der Verzweigungsstellen mit Dreifachdetektions-GPC zeigt einen Temperatureinfluss, da aufgrund der zunehmenden Temperatur die Selbstinitiierung schneller abläuft. Durch den resultierenden Anstieg der Radikalkonzentration nimmt die Molmasse eines Polymers ab, während die Anzahl der Verzweigungsstellen im Polymer zunimmt. Die selbstinitiierte Hochtemperaturpolymerisation von n-Butylacrylat wurde durch kinetische Monte Carlo Simulationen beschrieben. Während die kinetischen Koeffizienten der meisten Elementarreaktionen verfügbar sind, sind die Koeffizienten der Selbstinitiierung und des Transfers zum Lösemittel nicht literaturbekannt. Diese werden auf Basis experimenteller Daten und des Metropolis-Hastings Algorithmus bestimmt. Mit dem kinetischen Modell können die experimentell erhaltenen Molmassenverteilungen und Verzweigungen im Polymer sehr gut beschrieben werden. Mit zunehmender Reaktionstemperatur nimmt der Anteil der tertiären Radikale nachweislich zu. Das Verhältnis zwischen sekundären und tertiären Radikalen beeinflusst maßgeblich die Ausbildung von Verzweigungsstellen im Polymer. Zusätzlich wurden Polymerisationen weiterer Acrylate hinsichtlich der Koeffizienten der Wachstums- und Terminierungsreaktion untersucht. Mit größeren Estergruppen nimmt kp zu, kt nimmt aufgrund der Abhängigkeit von der Viskosität ab. Ebenfalls wird die Ausbildung von Verzweigungsstellen im Polymer betrachtet. Der sterische Einfluss der jeweiligen Estergruppen entlang der Polymerkette bildet ein abschirmendes Volumen aus. Ein schwach ausgeprägtes abschirmendes Volumen führt zu einer hohen Anzahl von Verzweigungen.The high-temperature polymerization of acrylates is of industrial interest due to the high reaction rates, but the mechanism at high temperatures has not been conclusively clarified. This is especially true for the thermal self-initiation of the monomer. The focus of this work is on the polymerization of n-butyl acrylate at temperatures of up to 160°C. The determination of the overall polymerization rate in different solvents is done by in-line FT-NIR spectroscopy. The solvent significantly influences the overall polymerization rate, which is not due to an influence on the growth coefficient kp. Through transfer reactions, acrylates form branched polymers during radical polymerization. The analysis of the branching sites with triple-detection SEC shows an influence of temperature, as the self-initiation is faster due to the increasing temperature. Due to the resulting increase in radical concentration, the molar mass of a polymer decreases, while the number of branching sites in the polymer increases. The self-initiated high temperature polymerization of n-butyl acrylate was described by kinetic Monte Carlo simulations. While the kinetic coefficients of most elementary reactions are available, the coefficients of self-initiation and transfer to the solvent are not known from literature. These are determined on the basis of experimental data and the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm. With the kinetic model, the experimentally obtained molecular mass distributions and branching in the polymer can be described very well. As the reaction temperature increases, the fraction of tertiary radicals is shown to increase. The ratio between secondary and tertiary radicals significantly influences the formation of branching points in the polymer. In addition, polymerizations of further acrylates were investigated with regard to the coefficients of the growth and termination reaction. With larger ester groups, kp increases, kt decreases due to the dependence on viscosity. The formation of branching points in the polymer is also examined. The steric influence of the respective ester groups along the polymer chain forms a shielding volume. A weakly developed shielding volume leads to a high number of branching points

Endogenous tumor suppressor microRNA-193b: Therapeutic and prognostic value in acute myeloid leukemia

Purpose Dysregulated microRNAs are implicated in the pathogenesis and aggressiveness of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). We describe the effect of the hematopoietic stem-cell self-renewal regulating miR-193b on progression and prognosis of AML. Methods We profiled miR-193b-5p/3p expression in cytogenetically and clinically characterized de novo pediatric AML (n = 161) via quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and validated our findings in an independent cohort of 187 adult patients. We investigated the tumor suppressive function of miR-193b in human AML blasts, patient-derived xenografts, and miR-193b knockout mice in vitro and in vivo. Results miR-193b exerted important, endogenous, tumor-suppressive functions on the hematopoietic system. miR-193b-3p was downregulated in several cytogenetically defined subgroups of pediatric and adult AML, and low expression served as an independent indicator for poor prognosis in pediatric AML (risk ratio 6 standard error, 20.56 6 0.23; P = .016). miR-193b-3p expression improved the prognostic value of the European LeukemiaNet risk-group stratification or a 17-gene leukemic stemness score. In knockout mice, loss of miR-193b cooperated with Hoxa9/Meis1 during leukemogenesis, whereas restoring miR-193b expression impaired leukemic engraftment. Similarly, expression of miR-193b in AML blasts from patients diminished leukemic growth in vitro and in mouse xenografts. Mechanistically, miR-193b induced apoptosis and a G1/S-phase block in various human AML subgroups by targeting multiple factors of the KIT-RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK (MAPK) signaling cascade and the downstream cell cycle regulator CCND1. Conclusion The tumor-suppressive function is independent of patient age or genetics; therefore, restoring miR-193b would assure high antileukemic efficacy by blocking the entire MAPK signaling cascade while preventing the emergence of resistance mechanisms

Das neue Widerrufsrecht in der Falllösung

Mit Wirkung zum 13.06.2014 wurden zur Umsetzung der Verbraucherrechterichtlinie $2011/83/EU^{1}$ die Regelungen zum Verbraucherschutz umfassend geändert$^{2}$. Von diesen Änderungen ist auch das ausbildungsrelevante Widerrufsund Rückgaberecht bei Verbraucherverträgen betroffen, das stellenweise vollständig neu geregelt wurde. Der folgende Beitrag nimmt diese Änderung zum Anlass, die neue Rechtslage klausurtyisch aufzubereiten beginnend mit derDarstellung der Voraussetzungen des Widerrufsrechts bei Fernabsatzverträgen und den (nunmehr ehemaligen) Haustürgeschäften Ausübung des Widerrufs und dessen Rechtsfolgen eingegangen. $\bf 1$ Richtlinie 2011/83/EU des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates vom 25. Oktober 2011 über die Rechte der Verbraucher, zur Abänderung der Richtlinie 93/13/EWG des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates sowie zur Aufhebung der Richtlinie 85/577/EWG des Rates und der Richtlinie 97/7/EG des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates, ABl. EU 2011 Nr. L 304, S. 64. $\bf 2$ Durch das Gesetz zur Umsetzung der Verbraucherrechterichtlinie und zur Änderung des Gesetzes zur Regelung der Wohnungsvermittlung vom 20. September 2013, BGBl. I 2013, S. 3642

Spared syntax and impaired spell-out: the case of prepositions in Broca's and anomic aphasia .

The present study deals with the impairment of prepositions, a somewhat neglected topic in aphasia research. It is the first to investigate the availability of all types of prepositions (i.e., spatial, temporal, other meaningful, subcategorized, syntactic prepositions, and particles) in a variety of comprehension and production tasks in one anomic aphasic and four Broca’s aphasic patients and healthy speakers. While the availability of spatial, temporal, or subcategorized prepositions has been investigated, other preposition types have never been studied before. The data revealed that prepositions were impaired in the patients, and that the degree of impairment differed for different types of prepositions. Three of the main findings are: first, meaningless prepositions were not the most vulnerable subcategory of prepositions in the patients. In fact, four of the five aphasic patients performed best on (meaningless) syntactic prepositions. Second, patients made few omissions and many substitution errors which were mostly within-category (a preposition was substituted by another preposition). Third, there was no difference in the performance of Broca’s and anomic aphasic patients. These results differ from those of previous studies (e.g., Bennis et al., 1983; Friederici, 1982). They found that (i) meaningful prepositions remained relatively well preserved in Broca’s aphasia, while meaningless subcategorized and/or syntactic prepositions were very impaired, (ii) that Broca’s aphasic patients tended to omit rather than substitute prepositions, and (iii) that patients of contrasting clinical profiles performed differently. The preservation of syntactic prepositions together with the large number of within-category substitutions (which indicate sensitivity to the grammatical class of prepositions) were interpreted to suggest that the preposition deficit of the patients is not due to syntactic impairments. Rather, a post syntactic deficit in selection of the correct preposition at spell-out – a construct in modern linguistic theory that links syntax with phonology – is put forward.

Desiccation affects bacterial community structure and function in temperate stream sediments

Headwaters in extended temperate regions of the world, including Central Europe, are going to be exposed to more frequent and longer lasting periods of drought, which can be attributed to global climate change and enhanced human withdrawal of water. The effects of desiccation on bacterial community composition and on microbial extracellular enzyme activities, a key process in the carbon flow of lotic environments, were investigated in the Breitenbach, a typical temperate stream located in Central Europe. Sandy sediment, a most important habitat of temperate streams, was sampled and exposed at 20 °C in the laboratory to different types of desiccation (fast and slow) over 8 weeks. Bacterial community composition was determined via CARD-FISH (catalyzed reporter deposition fluorescence in-situ hybridization) and extracellular enzyme activities by means of fluorogenic model substrates. The structure of the bacterial community changed during the desiccation process. It developed from a typical temperate streambed community towards a composition similar to that of terrestrial soils. Proportions of Betaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes decreased, whereas the occurrence of Actinobacteria and Alphaproteobacteria increased. Extracellular enzyme multifunctionality (an important component of ecosystem functionality) was reduced during desiccation, particularly with fast desiccation. Aminopeptidases were most affected with their activity reduced to 10 % of the initial value, whereas activities of β-glucosidases were reduced less markedly. After 8 weeks of desiccation, even the most affected enzymes remained remarkably active. This ensures that upon rewetting the complete ecosystem functions delivered by extracellular enzymes can start recovering without delay

A Computational Investigation of Sources of Variability in Sentence Comprehension Difficulty in Aphasia

We present a computational evaluation of three hypotheses about sources of deficit in sentence comprehension in aphasia: slowed processing, intermittent deficiency, and resource reduction. The ACT-R based Lewis and Vasishth (2005) model is used to implement these three proposals. Slowed processing is implemented as slowed execution time of parse steps; intermittent deficiency as increased random noise in activation of elements in memory; and resource reduction as reduced spreading activation. As data, we considered subject vs. object relative sentences, presented in a self-paced listening modality to 56 individuals with aphasia (IWA) and 46 matched controls. The participants heard the sentences and carried out a picture verification task to decide on an interpretation of the sentence. These response accuracies are used to identify the best parameters (for each participant) that correspond to the three hypotheses mentioned above. We show that controls have more tightly clustered (less variable) parameter values than IWA; specifically, compared to controls, among IWA there are more individuals with slow parsing times, high noise, and low spreading activation. We find that (a) individual IWA show differential amounts of deficit along the three dimensions of slowed processing, intermittent deficiency, and resource reduction, (b) overall, there is evidence for all three sources of deficit playing a role, and (c) IWA have a more variable range of parameter values than controls. An important implication is that it may be meaningless to talk about sources of deficit with respect to an abstract verage IWA; the focus should be on the individual's differential degrees of deficit along different dimensions, and on understanding the causes of variability in deficit between participants