Patterns of grammaticalization in African languages

The approach outlined in the present paper is based on observations made with African languages. Although the 1000-odd African languages display a remarkable extent of structural variation, there are certain structures that do not seem to occur in Africa. Thus, to our knowledge, an African language having anything that could be called an ergative case or a numeral classifier system has not been discovered so far. It may turn out that our approach can, in a modified form, be made applicable to languages outside Africa. This , however, is a possibility that has not been considered here. The present approach is based essentially on diachronic findings in that it uses observations on language evolution in order to account for structural differences between languages. Thus, it has double potential: apart from describing and explaining typological diversity it can also be material to reconstructing language history

Alveolar macrophages and the diagnosis of drowning

In the present study, we examined the number of alveolar macrophages in lung tissue from 17 cases of fresh water drowning, 22 cases of acute death and 6 cases of lung emphysema. When counting only the number of alveolar macrophages per alveolus without consideration of the alveolar size we found no relevant differences between the groups investigated. To exclude any influence of the alveolar size on the results the surface density of the alveolar macrophages and interstitial tissue was estimated and compared in the different groups. In cases of drowning, the lungs showed significantly lower values in both categories. The ratio of ‘alveolar macrophages/interstitial tissue’ was also reduced in cases of drowning in comparison to the other groups, however, without significant differences. These morphometrical results characterizing the ‘emphysema aquosum’ with almost ‘empty’ and dilated alveoli could be explained by a wash-out effect of the drowning fluid leading to a partial removal of the macrophages from the alveoli. This hypothesis was confirmed by the detection of alveolar macrophages in the drowning froth by immunohistochemical analysis. Even though alveolar macrophages were unambiguously identified in advanced putrefied lungs in HE-stained sections as well as by immunohistochemical staining, an estimation of the number of these cells cannot provide further information for the diagnosis of drowning in putrefied corpses due to the autolytic destruction of the lung architecture providing no reliable values

Studies of Gas Flow Impedance in the LUX-ZEPLIN Radon Removal System

HonorsPhysicsUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162651/1/mreh.pd

Preliminary Movement and Distribution Model for Chihuahuan Green Toads, Anaxyrus debilis, in Western Kansas

The Chihuahuan Green Toad (CGT) is a small arid-adapted toad native to extreme western Kansas. Since its listing as a Kansas Threatened Species in 1987, there has been a lack of focused research on the extent and health of the population within its Kansas range. The objective of my research has been to locate and track CGT in western Kansas in an effort to create a comprehensive life history account within the state. ARDs and manual surveys were conducted from the end of May 2022 to the end of July 2022. Due to severe drought in Logan and Wallace counties during the summer research season, few CGT were observed with little insight gained into their behaviors and movement. Preliminary analysis of observation records from my research season may elucidate behavioral trends for similar arid-adapted anurans. This presentation will cover the methods, materials, preliminary results, and implications from my research

Gait sonification for rehabilitation: adjusting gait patterns by acoustic transformation of kinematic data

To enhance motor learning in both sport and rehabilitation, auditory feedback has emerged as an effective tool. Since it requires less attention than visual feedback and hardly affects the visually dominated orientation in space, it can be used safely and effectively in natural locomotion such as walking. One method for generating acoustic movement feedback is the direct mapping of kinematic data to sound (movement sonification). Using this method in orthopedic gait rehabilitation could make an important contribution to the prevention of falls and secondary diseases. This would not only reduce the individual suffering of the patients, but also medical treatment costs. To determine the possible applications of movement sonification in gait rehabilitation in the context of this work, a new gait sonification method based on inertial sensor technology was developed. Against the background of current scientific findings on sensorimotor function, feedback methods, and gait analysis, three studies published in scientific journals are presented in this thesis: The first study shows the applicability and acceptance of the feedback method in patients undergoing inpatient rehabilitation after unilateral total hip arthroplasty. In addition, the direct effect of gait sonification during ten gait training sessions on the patients’ gait pattern was revealed. In the second study, the immediate follow-up effect of gait sonification on the kinematics of the same patient group is examined at four measurement points after gait training. In this context, a significant influence of sonification on the gait pattern of the patients was shown, which, however, did not meet the previously expected effects. In view of this finding, the effect of the specific sound parameter loudness of gait sonification on the gait of healthy persons was analyzed in a third study. Thus, an impact of asymmetric loudness of gait sonification on the ground contact time could be detected. Considering this cause-effect relationship can be a component in improving gait sonfication in rehabilitation. Overall, the feasibility and effectiveness of movement sonification in gait rehabilitation of patients after unilateral hip arthroplasty becomes evident. The findings thus illustrate the potential of the method to efficiently support orthopedic gait rehabilitation in the future. On the basis of the results presented, this potential can be exploited in particular by an adequate mapping of movement to sound, a systematic modification of selected sound parameters, and a target-group-specific selection of the gait sonification mode. In addition to a detailed investigation of the three factors mentioned above, an optimization and refinement of gait analysis in patients after arthroplasty using inertial sensor technology will be beneficial in the future.Akustisches Feedback kann wirkungsvoll eingesetzt werden, um das Bewegungslernen sowohl im Sport als auch in der Rehabilitation zu erleichtern. Da es weniger Aufmerksamkeit als visuelles Feedback erfordert und die visuell dominierte Orientierung im Raum kaum beeinträchtigt, kann es während einer natürlichen Fortbewegung wie dem Gehen sicher und effektiv genutzt werden. Eine Methode zur Generierung akustischen Bewegungsfeedbacks ist die direkte Abbildung kinematischer Daten auf Sound (Bewegungssonifikation). Ein Einsatz dieser Methode in der orthopädischen Gangrehabilitation könnte einen wichtigen Beitrag zur Prävention von Stürzen und Folgeerkrankungen leisten. Neben dem individuellen Leid der Patienten ließen sich so auch medizinische Behandlungskosten erheblich reduzieren. Um im Rahmen dieser Arbeit die Einsatzmöglichkeiten der Bewegungssonifikation in der Gangrehabilitation zu bestimmen, wurde eine neue Gangsonifikationsmethodik auf Basis von Inertialsensorik entwickelt. Zu der entwickelten Methodik werden, vor dem Hintergrund aktueller wissenschaftlicher Erkenntnisse zur Sensomotorik, zu Feedbackmethoden und zur Ganganalyse, in dieser Thesis drei in Fachzeitschriften publizierte Studien vorgestellt. Die erste Studie beschreibt die Anwendbarkeit und Akzeptanz der Feedbackmethode bei Patienten in stationärer Rehabilitation nach unilateraler Hüftendoprothetik. Darüber hinaus wird der direkte Effekt der Gangsonifikation während eines zehnmaligen Gangtrainings auf das Gangmuster der Patienten deutlich. In der zweiten Studie wird der unmittelbare Nacheffekt der Gangsonifikation auf die Kinematik der gleichen Patientengruppe zu vier Messzeitpunkten nach dem Gangtraining untersucht. In diesem Zusammenhang zeigte sich ein signifikanter Einfluss der Sonifikation auf das Gangbild der Patienten, der allerdings nicht den zuvor erwarteten Effekten entsprach. Aufgrund dieses Ergebnisses wurde in einer dritten Studie die Wirkung des spezifischen Klangparameters Lautstärke der Gangsonifikation auf das Gangbild von gesunden Personen analysiert. Dabei konnte ein Einfluss von asymmetrischer Lautstärke der Gangsonifikation auf die Bodenkontaktzeit nachgewiesen werden. Die Berücksichtigung dieses Ursache-Wirkungs-Zusammenhangs kann einen Baustein bei der Verbesserung der Gangsonifikation in der Rehabilitation darstellen. Insgesamt wird die Anwendbarkeit und Wirksamkeit von Bewegungssonifikation in der Gangrehabilitation bei Patienten nach unilateraler Hüftendoprothetik evident. Die gewonnenen Erkenntnisse verdeutlichen das Potential der Methode, die orthopädische Gangrehabilitation zukünftig effizient zu unterstützen. Ausschöpfen lässt sich dieses Potential auf Grundlage der vorgestellten Ergebnisse insbesondere anhand einer adäquaten Zuordnung von Bewegung zu Sound, einer systematischen Modifikation ausgewählter Soundparameter sowie einer zielgruppenspezifischen Wahl des Modus der Sonifikation. Neben einer differenzierten Untersuchung der genannten Faktoren, erscheint zukünftig eine Optimierung und Verfeinerung der Ganganalyse bei Patienten nach Endoprothetik unter Einsatz von Inertialsensorik notwendig

Conservation Status of the Chihuahuan Green Toad, Anaxyrus debilis, in western Kansas Range

Amphibians remain an important model organism closely associated with environmental conditions and ecological processes. They are considered critical bioindicators of the relative health of ecosystems providing insights into levels of pollution, such as agricultural and industrial runoff, effects of UVB increases, ecosystem service functionality and much more (Rohman et al. 2021). Amphibians are an essential food source to organisms at higher trophic levels and to humans in developing countries (Schleich et al. 1996). Amphibians also provide pest control for agricultural and urban landscapes (Warkentin et al. 2009). Amphibians provide novel medicinal treatments for a wide variety of human ailments and have facilitated our understanding of the processes of human growth and development (Alves et al. 2013). Unfortunately, there are increasing concerns that amphibians may lack adaptability to ongoing global change in temperature, precipitation, and other large-scale anthropogenic modifications to the biosphere (Stuart et al. 2005). Chihuahuan Green Toads, Anaxyrus debilis, are an arid-adapted anuran native to the southwestern USA and a restricted portion of western Kansas. The objective of this research was to monitor small-scale movements, population health, distribution, and habitat preference. This information and subsequent analysis will be provided to the KDWP for future recovery planning of this Kansas Threatened species. Understanding the current population trends of arid-adapted anurans provides better insight of the potential limitations on the distribution of these populations in Kansas