Using a core word to identify different forms of semantically related formulaic sequences and their potential as a marker of authorship

Formulaic sequences should make an excellent marker of style because if authors treat them as one lexical choice, they are unlikely to be aware of the individual words contained within. However, there is no clear-cut way to robustly identify all, and only, formulaic sequences in text. If one particular word can be isolated which occurs frequently in formulaic sequences—a core word—then a reasonable sub-set of word sequences will be identified, the majority of which can be expected to be formulaic. Using the core word 'way' which occurs in many formulaic sequences (e.g., in a way, by the way, by way of), the aim of this research is to establish whether individual authors use different way-phrases from each other and, for comparative purposes, whether authors use alternative non-formulaic realisations of the same semantic content. If inter-authorial differences can be found, way-phrases may hold potential as a marker of authorship. The results indicate that for one author, the phrase 'in a way' appeared to be used distinctively. Therefore, there is potential for formulaic sequences to be used as a marker of authorship, albeit for only one author out of twenty, which limits the usefulness of such a marker in a forensic context

The dynamics of power and resistance in police interview discourse

This is a study of police interviewing using an integrated approach, drawing on CA, CDA and pragmatics. The study focuses on the balance of power and control, finding that in particular the institutional status of the participants, the discursive roles assigned to them by the context, and their relative knowledge, are significant factors affecting the dynamics of the discourse. Four discursive features are identified as particularly significant, and a detailed analysis of the complex interplay of these features shows that power and control are constantly under negotiation, and are always open to challenge and resistance. Further it is shown that discursive dominance is not necessarily advantageous to participants, due to the specific goals and purposes of the police interview context. A wider consideration of the context illustrates the contribution that linguistics can make to the use of police interview data as evidence in the UK criminal justice system

Pledging to harm:A linguistic appraisal analysis of judgment comparing realized and non-realized violent fantasies

Intent is a psychological quality that threat assessors view as a required step on a threatener’s pathway to action. Recognizing the presence of intent in threatening language is therefore crucial to determining whether a threat is credible. Nevertheless, a ‘lack of empirical guidance’ (p. 326) is available concerning how violent intent is expressed linguistically. Using the subsystem of judgment in Appraisal analysis, this study compares realized with non-realized ‘pledges to harm’, revealing occasionally counterintuitive patterns of stancetaking by both author types – for example, that the non-realized texts are both prosodically more violent and more threatening, while the realized pledges are more ethically nuanced – which may begin to shed light on which attitudinal markers reliably correlate with an author’s intention to do future harm

Foucault, Surveillance, and Carbon Monoxide Testing Within Stop-Smoking Services

Health professionals have adopted proactive testing for early evidence of disease. Researchers have identified that this leads to enumerated understandings and shapes behavior in productive ways. Smoking-cessation advisors regularly test clients for carbon monoxide (CO), but client views of this had not previously been explored. We interviewed 23 clients of a United Kingdom-based stop-smoking service regarding their experiences of CO testing. The majority of participants were successful quitters. We used ATLAS.ti 7 as a data-management tool during structured qualitative analysis. Our findings reveal that clients believed the results of their CO tests. Many became enumerated in their understanding, and thus placed themselves in a hierarchy with other members of their group. Almost all clients found that knowing their CO test score was motivating. We conclude that additional research is needed to understand the experiences of CO testing among clients who do not quit

Developments in unsteady pipe flow friction modelling

This paper reviews a number of unsteady friction models for transient pipe flow. Two distinct unsteady friction models, the Zielke and the Brunone models, are investigated in detail. The Zielke model, originally developed for transient laminar flow, has been selected to verify its effectiveness for "low Reynolds number" transient turbulent flow. The Brunone model combines local inertia and wall friction unsteadiness. This model is verified using the Vardy's analytically deduced shear decay coefficient C* to predict the Brunone's friction coefficient k rather than use the traditional trial and error method for estimating k. The two unsteady friction models have been incorporated into the method of characteristics water hammer algorithm. Numerical results from the quasi-steady friction model and the Zielke and the Brunone unsteady friction models are compared with results of laboratory measurements for water hammer cases with laminar and low Reynolds number turbulent flows. Conclusions about the range of validity for the three friction models are drawn. In addition, the convergence and stability of these models are addressed.Anton Bergant, Angus Ross Simpson, John Vìtkovsk

b-Lactam antibiotics offer neuroprotection by increasing glutamate transporter expression

Glutamate is the principal excitatory neurotransmitter in the nervous system. Inactivation of synaptic glutamate is handled by the glutamate transporter GLT1 (also known as EAAT2; refs 1, 2), the physiologically dominant astroglial protein. In spite of its critical importance in normal and abnormal synaptic activity, no practical pharmaceutical can positively modulate this protein. Animal studies show that the protein is important for normal excitatory synaptic transmission, while its dysfunction is implicated in acute and chronic neurological disorders, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 3 , stroke 4 , brain tumours 5 and epilepsy To identify compounds capable of increasing rodent GLT1 expression, a structurally diverse library of 1,040 FDA-approved drugs and nutritionals were individually added to organotypic spinal cord slice cultures prepared from postnatal day 9 rats To better understand the mechanism of action, the effect of the drugs on the GLT1 promoter was examined in cell lines fro

Using Visual Timelines in Telephone Interviews: Reflections and Lessons Learned from the Star Family Study

Visual timeline methods have been used as part of face-to-face qualitative interviewing with vulnerable populations to uncover the intricacies of lived experiences, but little is known about whether visual timelines can be effectively used in telephone interviews. In this article, we reflect on the process of using visual timelines in 16 telephone interviews with women as part of the ‘STarting a family when you have an Autoimmune Rheumatic disease’ study (STAR Family Study). The visual timeline method was used to empower women to organize and share their narratives about the sensitive and complex topic of starting a family. We conducted a thematic analysis of the audio-recorded interview data, using researchers’ field notes and reflections to provide context for our understanding of the benefits of using timelines, to understand the process of using visual timelines during telephone interviews. Resource packs were sent to women before study participation; 11 out of 16 women completed a version of the timeline activity. Six themes were identified in the methodological data analysis: 1) Use and adaptation of the timeline tool; 2) Timeline exchange, 3) Framing the interview: Emphasizing that women are in control; 4) Jumping straight in; 5) Taking a lead, and; 6) Disclosing personal and sensitive experiences. The use of visual timelines facilitated interviewee control and elicited rich narratives of participants’ experiences in telephone interviews. Women created their visual timelines autonomously and retained ownership of their timeline data; these features of the data generation process need to be considered when using visual timelines in telephone rather than face-to-face interviews. Use of visual methods within telephone interviews is feasible, can generate rich data, and should be further explored in a wider range of settings