L2-induced changes in the L1 of Germans living in the Netherlands

This article reports on an investigation of changes in the grammatical competence of Germans living in the Netherlands. The participants (N = 52) were asked to give their judgments on the grammaticality of infinitive clauses in German. The judgments of this group were compared to those of a control group that lived in Germany and did not have contact with Dutch. The results revealed significant changes in the participants’ L1, which indicate transfer from the cognate L2, Dutch. Furthermore, it could be demonstrated that L2-induced changes can occur after a relatively short period of time, at least in the case of cognate languages

Evidence for enhanced convection of North Pacific Intermediate Water to the low-latitude Pacific under glacial conditions

We provide high-resolution foraminiferal stable carbon isotope (δ13C) records from the subarctic Pacific and Eastern Equatorial Pacific (EEP) to investigate circulation dynamics between the extra-tropical and tropical North Pacific during the past 60 kyr. We measured the δ13C composition of the epibenthic foraminiferal species Cibicides lobatulus from a shallow sediment core recovered from the western Bering Sea (SO201-2-101KL; 58°52.52’N, 170°41.45’E; 630 m water depth) to reconstruct past ventilation changes close to the source region of Glacial North Pacific Intermediate Water (GNPIW). Information regarding glacial changes in the δ13C of sub-thermocline water masses in the EEP is derived from the deep-dwelling planktonic foraminifera Globorotaloides hexagonus at ODP Site 1240 (00°01.31’N, 82°27.76’W; 2921 m water depth). Apparent similarities in the long-term evolution of δ13C between GNPIW, intermediate waters in the eastern tropical North Pacific and sub-thermocline water masses in the EEP suggest the expansion of relatively 13C-depleted, nutrient-enriched, and northern-sourced intermediate waters to the equatorial Pacific under glacial conditions. Further, it appears that additional influence of GNPIW to the tropical Pacific is consistent with changes in nutrient distribution and biological productivity in surface-waters of the glacial EEP. Our findings highlight potential links between North Pacific mid-depth circulation changes, nutrient cycling, and biological productivity in the equatorial Pacific under glacial boundary conditions

Identification and characterization of the maize arogenate dehydrogenase gene family

In plants, the amino acids tyrosine and phenylalanine are synthesized from arogenate by arogenate dehydrogenase and arogenate dehydratase, respectively, with the relative flux to each being tightly controlled. Here the characterization of a maize opaque endosperm mutant (mto140), which also shows retarded vegetative growth, is described The opaque phenotype co-segregates with a Mutator transposon insertion in an arogenate dehydrogenase gene (zmAroDH-1) and this led to the characterization of the four-member family of maize arogenate dehydrogenase genes (zmAroDH-1–zmAroDH-4) which share highly similar sequences. A Mutator insertion at an equivalent position in AroDH-3, the most closely related family member to AroDH-1, is also associated with opaque endosperm and stunted vegetative growth phenotypes. Overlapping but differential expression patterns as well as subtle mutant effects on the accumulation of tyrosine and phenylalanine in endosperm, embryo, and leaf tissues suggest that the functional redundancy of this gene family provides metabolic plasticity for the synthesis of these important amino acids. mto140/arodh-1 seeds shows a general reduction in zein storage protein accumulation and an elevated lysine phenotype typical of other opaque endosperm mutants, but it is distinct because it does not result from quantitative or qualitative defects in the accumulation of specific zeins but rather from a disruption in amino acid biosynthesis

The Grizzly, March 25, 1986

The Day U.C. Shut Down • R.A. Selections Underway • Suggestions Being Taken for Forum Topics • Letter: Proud Parents Commend U.C.\u27s Talent • Learn to Swim • New Course for Lifeguards • BreMiller\u27s Diversified Interests • What are You Doing After Graduation? • Matthews an NEH Grant Recipient • Briefs: USGA Represented at Leadership Conference; Ray Bunt Honored at Luncheon; Science Fair in Helfferich; Senior Symposium Topics; Women\u27s Track • Men\u27s Lacrosse Club Starts New Season • Bears Even Record • Lady Bears Look to Win it all • Women\u27s Lacrosse to Begin • Gymnasts Deserted by Coach Morrison • A Reminiscent Backflip • Woody\u27s Hannah a Hit • Equipment Donatedhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1161/thumbnail.jp

Automatized assessment of motor function in patients with NMD: MFM-Digital Study

International audienceGiven the progress of research and management in Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), validated tools are needed to assess patients’ motor function. The Motor Function Measure assessment (MFM) is known as principal outcome measure of the motor function with an international recognition. It is a validated tool and sensitive to the change applicable in SMA.Clinicians from the Neuromuscular Diseases Department (Hospices Civils de Lyon, France) are developing the MFM-digital, an automated system to assess SMA patients’ motor function based on MFM. By using a Microsoft Kinect and a digital tablet, the objective is to improve reliability and acceptability of the MFM by lowering the measure’s subjectivity linked to heteroevaluation and by creating a hybrid serious-game.The feasibility study assesses the relevance of the system to capture postures and motions during a MFM test. Due to technological limits of capture by the Kinect sensor, 14 on 32 items may be recognized by the Kinect and 3 items by a tablet. In each case, the therapist scores items in live by referring to the MFM manual. Based on digital data coming from Kinect and tablet records, the principal investigator informs a blind score. The good correlation between items scoring by a therapist and items scoring on captured digital data show the possibility to use an algorithm to propose an automatic score.21 records of MFM were collected with Kinect and Tablet sensors. The first results are encouraging, showing a good concordance between the scores with tracks of improvements of the system in particular concerning the capture for weaker patients. The data supplied by the MFM-digital system bring additional data, in particular the duration of the items’ exercises and kinematic parameters.One interest of this work consists in creating an automatic measurement tool, based on the MFM-items, which has already shown its validity

Promoting the use of Motor Function Measure (MFM) as outcome measure in patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) treated by corticosteroids

ObjectivesAssessing muscle function is a key step in measuring changes and evaluating the outcomes of therapeutic interventions in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). Regarding the large use of corticosteroids (CS) in this population to delay the loss of function, our goal was to monitor the evolution of motor function in patients with DMD treated by corticosteroids (CS) and to study the responsiveness of Motor Function Measure (MFM) in this population in order to provide an estimation of the number of subject needed for a clinical trial.MethodA total of 76 patients with DMD, aged 5.9 to 11.8 years, with at least 6 months of follow-up and 2 MFM were enrolled, 30 in the CS treated group (8±1.62 y) and 46 in the untreated group (7.91±1.50 y).ResultsThe relationship between MFM scores and age was studied in CS treated patients and untreated patients. The evolution of these scores was compared between groups, on a 6-, 12- and 24-month period by calculating slopes of change and standardized response mean. At 6, 12 and 24 months, significant differences in the mean score change were found, for all MFM scores, between CS treated patients and untreated patients. For D1 subscore specifically, at 6 months, the increase is significant in the treated group (11.3±14%/y; SRM 0.8) while a decrease is observed in the untreated group (–17.8±17.7%/y; SRM 1). At 12 and 24 months, D1 subscore stabilized for treated patients but declined significantly for untreated boys (–15.5±15.1%/y; SRM 1 at 12 mo and–18.8±7.1%/y; SRM 2.6 at 24 mo). 21 patients lost the ability to walk during the study: 6 in the CS treated group (25% at 24 months, mean age: 10.74±1.28 y) and 15 in the untreated group (64.71% at 24 months, mean age: 9.20±1.78 y).Discussion and conclusionPatients with DMD treated by CS present a different course of the disease described in this paper using the MFM. Based on these results, an estimation of the number of patients needed for clinical trial could be done

Damage signature of fatigued fabric reinforced plastics in the pulsed ultrasonic polar scan

This study investigates the use of both the amplitude and time-of-flight based pulsed ultrasonic polar scan (P-UPS) for the nondestructive detection and evaluation of fatigue damage in fiber reinforced composites. Several thermoplastic carbon fabric reinforced PPS specimens (CETEX), loaded under various fatigue conditions, have been scanned at multiple material spots according to the P-UPS technique in order to extract material degradation in a quantitative way. The P-UPS results indicate that shear dominated fatigued carbon/PPS goes with a reduction of shear properties combined with large fiber distortions. The P-UPS results of the tension-tension fatigued carbon/PPS samples on the other hand reveal a directional degradation of the stiffness properties, reaching a maximum reduction of -12.8% along the loading direction. The P-UPS extracted damage characteristics are fully supported by simulations, conventional destructive tests as well as visual inspection. The results demonstrate the excellent capability of the P-UPS method for nondestructively assessing and quantifying both shear-dominated and tension-tension fatigue damage in fabric reinforced plastics