Grammaticalization in Somali and the development of morphological tone

We demonstrate how grammaticalization may cause the restructuring of prosodic systems, leading to the development of new prosodic types. Illustrated with data from Northern Somali and related varieties, we show how a restricted tone system has developed into one of morphological tone through grammatical­ization of independent words to bound forms. Diachronic change has weakened the “accentual” properties of the High tone in Somali, and the tone patterns are synchronically best analyzed as properties of morphological constructions rather than of prosodic domains

Douglas H. Johnson: Nuer Prophets. A history of Prophecy from the Upper Nile in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries

Douglas H. Johnson: Nuer Prophets. A history of Prophecy from the Upper Nile in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries Anmeldes af Nina Johnse

Transformative virkemidler i reklamer - En studie av reklamens påvirkning på holdninger blant unge

I denne oppgaven tar vi for oss transformative virkemidler i reklamer, og undersøker hvilken effekt disse virkemidlene har på ungdommers holdninger. Vi har tatt utgangspunkt i DNB sine reklamer, da de legger mange ressurser inn i disse, og bruker virkemidler som “humor” og “provokasjon” i flere av reklamene sine. Ettersom dette er et tema vi kunne lite om, valgte vi å bruke en eksplorerende, kvalitativ metode, for å få dypere forståelse og innsikt i hvordan ungdom blir påvirket av reklamer. Vi tok utgangspunkt i problemstillingen, “I hvilken grad spiller transformative virkemidler i reklamer en rolle i holdningsskaping blant ungdommer?”. Vi utførte dybdeintervjuer med syv ungdommer i 20-årene som alle representerte ulike variabler i form av ulikt kjønn, ulik utdannelse, utdannelse og ikke-utdannelse, kunder og ikke-kunder av DNB, og ulike bostedssituasjoner. Vi ønsket å få mest mulig bredde og variasjon i svarene. Under intervjuene ønsket vi å finne tanker og refleksjoner som leder til holdninger, som ikke var farget av intervjusituasjonen, og som kun var resultater av påvirkning fra reklame. Vi tok tak i eksisterende inntrykk av DNB, reaksjoner etter å ha sett et utvalg reklamefilmer, hvilke tjenester de oppfattet som viktige, og deres beskrivelser av DNB. Vi koblet deretter datamaterialet opp mot eksisterende teori. Analysen av datamaterialet viser at ungdom både bevisst og ubevisst blir påvirket av reklamene, men at reklamene ikke får full effekt ettersom ungdommen anser banktjenester som tjenester som krever lav involvering. Vi observerte at virkemiddelet ofte ble en vampyreffekt, da reklamene ble husket, men budskapet ikke nådde igjennom. Den lave involveringen til informantene skyldes en liten tro på at det er store forskjeller mellom bankene, og lite engasjement i lånetjenester - som krever en høyere grad av involvering. Vi observerte også at eksisterende DNB-kunder generelt var mer motiverte til å engasjere seg i reklamene, og var generelt mer positivt innstilt. Dette ser vi på som et resultat av et behov for å opprettholde en indre forpliktelse og konsistens i valgene de har tatt. DNB sine reklamer påvirker holdninger til en viss grad, DNB skaper merkeidentitet, posisjonerer seg som en stor- men folkelig bank, og bekrefter for sine eksisterende kunder at de har valgt rett i å velge DNB. Atferd og atferdsintensjoner ble ikke påvirket

Co-infection dynamics of a major food-borne zoonotic pathogen in chicken

A major bottleneck in understanding zoonotic pathogens has been the analysis of pathogen co-infection dynamics. We have addressed this challenge using a novel direct sequencing approach for pathogen quantification in mixed infections. The major zoonotic food-borne pathogen Campylobacter jejuni, with an important reservoir in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of chickens, was used as a model. We investigated the co-colonisation dynamics of seven C. jejuni strains in a chicken GI infection trial. The seven strains were isolated from an epidemiological study showing multiple strain infections at the farm level. We analysed time-series data, following the Campylobacter colonisation, as well as the dominant background flora of chickens. Data were collected from the infection at day 16 until the last sampling point at day 36. Chickens with two different background floras were studied, mature ( treated with Broilact, which is a product consisting of bacteria from the intestinal flora of healthy hens) and spontaneous. The two treatments resulted in completely different background floras, yet similar Campylobacter colonisation patterns were detected in both groups. This suggests that it is the chicken host and not the background flora that is important in determining the Campylobacter colonisation pattern. Our results showed that mainly two of the seven C. jejuni strains dominated the Campylobacter flora in the chickens, with a shift of the dominating strain during the infection period. We propose a model in which multiple C. jejuni strains can colonise a single host, with the dominant strains being replaced as a consequence of strain-specific immune responses. This model represents a new understanding of C. jejuni epidemiology, with future implications for the development of novel intervention strategies

Impact of childhood trauma on antipsychotic effectiveness in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: A prospective, pragmatic, semi-randomized trial

Antipsychotic medications are generally effective in ameliorating psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSDs). Identifying predictors associated with poor treatment response is important for a personalized treatment approach. Childhood trauma (CT) may have a general and differential effect on the effectiveness of different types of antipsychotics in SSDs. The Bergen-Stavanger-Trondheim-Innsbruck (BeSt InTro) study is a pragmatic, researcher-initiated, semi-randomized trial. The present study aimed to investigate symptom change (the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale) from baseline to 1, 3, 6, 12, 26, 39 and 52 weeks of antipsychotic treatment (amisulpride, aripiprazole and olanzapine) by group (CT/no CT). Participants (n = 98) with diagnoses within the schizophrenia spectrum (F20–29 in the International Classification of Diseases — 10th Revision) were randomized to receive amisulpride, aripiprazole or olanzapine, and for this study categorized into groups of none and low CT, and moderate to severe CT according to thresholds defined by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short-Form manual. CT in SSDs predicted an overall slower treatment response and less antipsychotic effectiveness after 26 weeks of treatment, which was statistically nonsignificant at 52 weeks. Secondary analyses showed a differential effect of CT related to type of antipsychotic medication: patients with SSDs and CT who received olanzapine showed less antipsychotic effectiveness throughout 52 weeks of treatment. The intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were convergent. Our findings indicate that in patients with SSD and CT, delayed response to antipsychotics could be expected, and a longer evaluation period before considering change of medication may be recommended.publishedVersio