Phonetic Imitation of Vowel Duration in L2 Speech

This paper reports the results of a pilot study concerned with phonetic imitation in the speech of Polish learners of English. The purpose of the study was to investigate whether native speakers of Polish imitate the length of English vowels and to determine whether the extent of phonetic imitation may be influenced by the model talker being a native or a non-native speaker of English. The participants were asked to perform an auditory naming task in which they indentified objects and actions presented on a set of photos twice, with and without the imitation task. The imitation task was further sub-divided depending on the model talker being a native or non-native speaker of English (a native Southern British English speaker and a native Polish speaker fluent in English). As the aim was to investigate the variability in durational characteristics of English vowels, the series of front vowels /æ e ɪ iː/ were analysed in the shortening and lengthening b_t vs. b_d contexts. The results of the study show that the participants imitated the length of the investigated vowels as a result of exposure to the two model talkers. The data suggest that the degree of imitation was mediated both by linguistic and social factors and that the direction of convergence might have been affected by the participants’ attitude toward L2 pronunciation

Purification and characterization of a hygromycin B phosphotransferase from Streptomyces hygroscopicus

4 pages, 4 figures, 1 table, 20 references.A hygromycin B phosphotransferase activity from Streptomyces hygroscopicus has been highly purified by ammonium sulphate fractionation followed by affinity column chromatography through Sepharose-6B- hygromycin-B.The combined active fractions showed a singleprotein band (41 kDa) when subjected to polyacryl- amide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. When gel electrophoresis was performed under non-denaturing conditions, the single protein band promoted in situ phosphorylation of hygromycin B, indicating that this protein corresponded to the purified hygromycin B phosphotransferase. The enzyme has been purified 236-fold and approximate Km values of 0.56 pM and 36.4 pM for hygromycin B and ATP, respectively, were deduced.This research was supported by grants from the Comisión Asesora de Investigación Científica y Técnica (6131165 and 497) and by an institutional grant from the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias to the Centro de Biología Molecular. M. Zalacaín holds a fellowship from the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas.Peer reviewe

Non-invasive survey of pre-restoration condition of the ceiling paintings by Peter Paul Rubens at the Banqueting House Whitehall, London, by means of Optical Coherence Tomography

A preprint of the article submitted to Studies in Conservation on November 30, 2018 as a contribution to LACONA 12 conference special issue.This article presents the results of the examination by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT) of two of the nine monumental ceiling paintings by Peter Paul Rubens and his studio, still located in their original location at the Banqueting House, the only surviving building of the former Whitehall Palace in London. OCT is a non-invasive technique of structural imaging of layers semi-permeable to the infra-red radiation. The aim of the 2018 research campaign at the Banqueting House, conducted within the MOLAB programme under the IPERION CH project, was to determine the present condition of the paintings and thus inform decisions about future conservation planning for these unique paintings

Cuando me empieza a decir mamá : el abandono escolar en la experiencia de jóvenes madres que han tenido un embarazo en la adolescencia, distrito de Belén - Iquitos

Loreto presenta la mayor cantidad de madres adolescentes en los últimos quince años. Su capital, la ciudad de Iquitos, alberga al distrito de Belén el cual se caracteriza por su complejidad geográfica, falta de provisión de servicios básicos como la provisión de agua potable, desagüe y educación, además de tener un alto índice de pobreza. Asimismo, también presenta las más altas cifras de madres adolescentes para el resto de la urbe. Este es un caso particular para la zona urbana de la Amazonía peruana.Esta tesis abordará al embarazo adolescente desde la maternidad entendida como un fenómeno social. En base a ello, analiza las narrativas de las mujeres beleninas que han pasado por un embarazo adolescente entre los 15 y 19 años de edad. Se utilizó a la etnografía como método comprehensivo para poder entender las dinámicas cotidianas del lugar mediante la visita periódica y el alojamiento prolongado de la investigadora en Belén. También se realizaron entrevistas semi estructuradas, así como el trabajo con imágenes y la elaboración de las líneas de vida con las mujeres beleninas. Se encontraron cuatro representaciones sobre el ser mujer: la mujer-madreesposa, la mujer de la calle, la mujer trabajadora y la mujer profesional. Respecto a la escuela, las mujeres encontraron a esta como un espacio de sociabilidad y de movilidad social pero el cual también les es inaccesible. En ese sentido, las mujeres encuentran a la maternidad como un proyecto de vida viable y esperado frente al desarrollo de un proyecto educativo-profesional; este presenta diversas dificultades sociales, culturales y políticas que lo hacen inviable. Por último, para el grupo de mujeres entrevistadas, los eventos vitales como el embarazo, el abandono escolar y la convivencia se presentan secuencialmente de tres maneras distintasTesi

Maternidad adolescente y abandono escolar: una aproximación desde la subjetividad, el género y el curso de vida de un grupo de mujeres en Belén, Iquitos

El embarazo adolescente ha sido visto como un problema de salud pública por su alta incidencia, por causar bajos niveles de educación en las mujeres y por contribuir a la reproducción de la pobreza. En este sentido, la región Loreto muestra la mayor proporción de madres adolescentes a nivel nacional en los últimos quince años. Belén, uno de los distritos de la ciudad de Iquitos, presenta altas cifras de madres adolescentes, un bajo nivel educativo en las mujeres y un alto nivel de pobreza. Por lo tanto, este artículo busca entender el embarazo adolescente en relación con el abandono escolar, a través de las representaciones sobre maternidad, educación y escuela. Para ello, realizamos entrevistas semiestructuradas, trabajos con imágenes y observaciones empíricas con el fin de profundizar dichas representaciones y las dinámicas cotidianas del lugar de residencia. Así, se evidencia que las mujeres muestran tres cursos de vida distintos respecto a la escuela, al embarazo y a la convivencia: abandono de la escuela antes de un embarazo, después de este o antes de la convivencia.La grossesse à l’adolescence est perçue comme un problème de santé publique à cause du nombre élevé de cas, de son incidence négative sur les niveaux d'éducation des femmes et car elle contribue à la reproduction de la pauvreté. Au Pérou, la région Loreto présente la plus importante proportion de mères adolescentes en ce qui concerne les dernières quinze années. Belén, l’un des districts de la ville d’Iquitos, se caractérise par un nombre élevé de mères adolescentes, un faible niveau scolaire des femmes et un niveau de pauvreté important. Par conséquent, l’article cherche à comprendre la grossesse adolescente en rapport avec l’abandon scolaire, à travers les représentations de la maternité, de l’éducation et de l’école. Pour cela, ont été réalisés des entretiens semi-directifs, un travail sur des images et des observations empiriques afin d’approfondir ces représentations et les dynamiques quotidiennes du lieu de résidence. Ainsi, nous observons que les femmes montrent trois parcours de vie différents concernant l’école, la grossesse et le concubinage : certaines abandonnent l’école avant la grossesse, d’autres après celle-ci et d’autres avant le concubinage.Teenage pregnancy is considered to be a public health problem because of its high frequency, because it produces low levels of education for women, and because it contributes to the reproduction of poverty. In this respect, during the last fifteen years Loreto has presented the largest quantity of teenage mothers in the country. Belén, one of the districts of Iquitos, presents the highest number of teenage’ mothers, lowest education levels for women, and the highest poverty rate. Therefore, we seek to understand teenage pregnancy in relation to school dropout. To do that, we use the semi-structured interview, working images and empirical observations with the purpose of delving into those representations and the daily dynamics of the place of residence. We found women follow three different life courses resulting in school dropout, pregnancy and cohabitation: there are women who drop out from the school before they get pregnant, others who drop out before they start to cohabitate and those who drop out after they get pregnant

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in children treated in Uruguay

Introduction: Staphylococcus aureus produces a variety of diseases among children, ranging from skin and soft tissue infections to invasive life-threatening diseases. Since 1990, an increasing number of diseases produced by community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) isolates have been reported. The aim of this study was to describe the importance and the microbiological characteristics of S. aureus isolates recovered from children treated at the Hospital Pediátrico del Centro Hospitalario ?Pereira Rossell? (HP-CHPR); focusing on invasive diseases caused by CA-MRSA isolates, as well as some clinical aspects of the diseases they have produced. Methodology: One hundred and twenty-five S. aureus isolates recovered from the HP-CHPR between 2003 and 2006 from children with invasive (n=89) and superficial diseases (n=36) were included. Genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of S. aureus isolates and relevant clinical aspects of each child were studied. Results: CA-MRSA isolates accounted for 73% of all S. aureus recovered from invasive (mainly bone and joint) infections, pneumonia and bacteraemia. The most common CA-MRSA strain recovered from invasive (n=65) and superficial (n=36) diseases had the following features: pulsotype A (type USA1100), SCCmec cassette type IV, Panton-Valentine Leukocidin genes positive, susceptibility to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole without the inducible macrolide-lincosamide-streptogramin B (iMLSB) resistance phenotype. No association between genotypic characteristics of invasive CA-MRSA isolates and clinical outcomes was found. Conclusions: CA-MRSA isolates produced a wide spectrum of invasive diseases in a public paediatric hospital between 2003 and 2006. Microbiologic characterization suggests the spread of an adapted CA-MRSA clone lacking erm genesFil: Pardo, Lorena. Universidad de la Republica; UruguayFil: Vola, Magdalena. Universidad de la Republica; UruguayFil: Macedo Viñas, Marina. Universidad de la Republica; UruguayFil: Machado, Virginia. Universidad de la Republica; UruguayFil: Cuello, Dianna. Universidad de la Republica; UruguayFil: Mollerach, Marta Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Inmunología, Genética y Metabolismo; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Castro, Marta. Universidad de la Republica; UruguayFil: Pirez, Catalina. Universidad de la Republica; UruguayFil: Varela, Gustavo. Universidad de la Republica; UruguayFil: Algorta, Gabriela. Universidad de la Republica; Urugua

Un análisis de los sistemas financieros latinoamericanos

Presenta a continuación es una elaboración especial para Economía y Sociedad del estudio `Acuerdos de integración de servicios financieros en América Latina: perfiles de negociación hacia el ALGA, realizado por los autores para la Federación de Bancos Latinoamericanos FELABAN, en diciembre de 1995. Se publica debido a la importancia que ha adquirido el tema financiero y, en particular, a la relevancia que presenta el conocimiento de las estructuras bancarias. La experiencia de las crisis de los noventa ha señalado que el sector financiero y, en especial el sistema bancario, juegan un papel central en la determinación de tales crisis y en la virulencia con que estas últimas atacan al sector real, afectando las posibilidades de crecimiento de las economías. El artículo está escrito desde la perspectiva de la integración financiera. Contiene un análisis de los principales indicadores bancarios para los países latinoamericanos. En particular se hace un análisis de la diversidad en tamaños de los mercados y de las entidades bancarias, así como de las rentabilidades y de la profundización financiera. De la misma forma, se presenta una discusión sobre los determinantes de la rentabilidad, las condiciones de entrada y de competencia y, además, hace un análisis de los indicadores de eficiencia, solvencia y solidez. El artículo se organiza como sigue : en primer lugar se presenta un análisis comparativo del tamaño de los sistemas bancarios de los países latinoamericanos, para identificar si estas diferencias determinan las condiciones de entrada de nuevos bancos. En segundo lugar, se analizan las condiciones de rentabilidad con énfasis especial en la distribución de rentabilidades en cada sistema. A continuación se analizan los aspectos referentes a la eficiencia administrativa y de intermediación, y posteriormente se estudian los indicadores de solvencia."integración financiera

Parenting of Spanish mothers and fathers playing with their children at home

The aims of this study were to compare the parenting behaviors of mothers and fathers when evaluated in a free play situation at home and to study how these behaviors were related to the sociodemographic variables of the family. The study included 155 mothers and 155 fathers from the same families in Spain. The children (90 boys and 65 girls) were typically developing and were aged between 10 and 47 months old. The parents completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, and parenting behaviors in four domains (Affection, Responsiveness, Encouragement, and Teaching) were assessed from self-recorded videotapes, in accordance with the Spanish version of the PICCOLO. Our results showed both commonalities and differences between the mothers and fathers. The mean scores for the four parenting domains followed a similar pattern in both mothers and fathers: the highest mean score was in the Responsiveness domain, followed by the Affection, Encouragement, and the Teaching domains. Regarding the second aim, no differences were observed in parenting according to the child's gender and the only domain related to the child's age was mother's Teaching. Mothers with a higher educational level scored higher on all parenting domains, except for Responsiveness. Family income was positively related to maternal Affection, Encouragement, and the total PICCOLO score, and to the father's score in the Teaching domain. This study provides evidence that Spanish mothers and fathers show very similar strengths for promoting children's development during interactions. These results are relevant to inform social public policies and family programs

Effect of Spatiotemporal Parameters on the Gait of Children Aged from 6 to 12 Years in Podiatric Tests: A Cross Sectional Study

The use of lower limb tests in the paediatric population is of great importance for diagnostic evaluations. The aim of this study is to understand the relationship between the tests performed on the feet and ankles, covering all of its planes, and the spatiotemporal parameters of children’s gait. Methods: It is a cross-sectional observational study. Children aged between 6 and 12 years participated. Measurements were carried out in 2022. An analysis of three tests used to assess the feet and ankles (FPI, the ankle lunge test, and the lunge test), as well as a kinematic analysis of gait using OptoGait as a measurement tool, was performed. Results: The spatiotemporal parameters show how Jack’s Test is significant in the propulsion phase in its % parameter, with a p-value of 0.05 and a mean difference of 0.67%. Additionally, in the lunge test, we studied the % of midstance in the left foot, with a mean difference between the positive test and the 10 cm test of 10.76 (p value of 0.04). Conclusions: The diagnostic analysis of the functional limitation of the first toe (Jack’s test) is correlated with the spaciotemporal parameter of propulsion, as well as the lunge test, which is also correlated with the midstance phase of gait.Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málag

Impact of different strategies to control Plasmodium infection and anaemia on the island of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea)

BACKGROUND: On the island of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea), insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) have been the main tool used to control malaria over the last 13 years. In 2004, started an indoor residual spraying (IRS) campaign to control malaria. The purpose of this study is to asses the impact of the two control strategies on the island of Bioko (Equatorial Guinea), with regards to Plasmodium infection and anaemia in the children under five years of age. METHODS: Two transversal studies, the first one prior to the start of the IRS campaign and the second one year later. Sampling was carried out by stratified clusters. Malaria infection was measured by means of thick and thin film, and the packed cell volume (PCV) percentage. Data related to ITN use and information regarding IRS were collected. The Pearson's chi-square and logistic regression statistical tests were used to calculate odds ratios (OR) RESULTS: In the first survey, 168 children were sampled and 433 children in the second one. The prevalence of infection was 40% in 2004, and significantly lower at 21.7% in 2005. PCV was 41% and 39%, respectively. 58% of the children surveyed in 2004 and 44.3% in 2005 had slept under an ITN. 78% of the dwellings studied in 2005 had been sprayed. In the 2005 survey, sleeping without a mosquito net meant a risk of infection 3 times greater than sleeping protected with a net hanged correctly and with no holes (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: IRS and ITNs have proven to be effective control strategies on the island of Bioko. The choice of one or other strategy is, above all, a question of operational feasibility and availability of local resources