77 research outputs found
Language Variation and Change in German-Speaking Switzerland: Spatial, Social, and Individual Factors
Reduction of Survey Sites in Dialectology: A New Methodology Based on Clustering
Many language change studies aim for a partial revisitation, i.e., selecting survey sites from previous dialect studies. The central issue of survey site reduction, however, has often been addressed only qualitatively. Cluster analysis offers an innovative means of identifying the most representative survey sites among a set of original survey sites. In this paper, we present a general methodology for finding representative sites for an intended study, potentially applicable to any collection of data about dialects or linguistic variation. We elaborate the quantitative steps of the proposedmethodology in the context of the âLinguistic Atlas of Japanâ (LAJ). Next, we demonstrate the full application of the methodology on the âLinguistic Atlas of German-speaking Switzerlandâ (Germ.: âSprachatlas der Deutschen SchweizââSDS), with the explicit aim of selecting survey sites corresponding to the aims of the current project âSwiss German Dialects Across Time and Spaceâ (SDATS), which revisits SDS 70 years later. We find that depending on the circumstances and requirements of a study, the proposed methodology, introducing cluster analysis into the survey site reduction process, allows for a greater objectivity in comparison to traditional approaches. We suggest, however, that the suitability of any set of candidate survey sites resulting from the proposed methodology be rigorously revised by experts due to potential incongruences, such as the overlap of objectives and variables across the original and intended studies and ongoing dialect change
Sprachlerneignung und Differenzierung im Fremdsprachenunterricht â Chancen und Grenzen
Lâenseignement diffĂ©renciĂ© des langues Ă©trangĂšres nĂ©cessite la prise en compte de nombre de spĂ©cificitĂ©s des Ă©lĂšves, raison pour laquelle une bonne comprĂ©hension des habiletĂ©s individuelles favorisant lâapprentissage des langues est particuliĂšrement importante. Si lâon entend parfois parler dâĂ©lĂšves «douĂ©s pour les langues», en quoi consisterait une telle aptitude langagiĂšre? Existe-t-elle vraiment? Serait-elle liĂ©e Ă des compĂ©tences spĂ©cifiquement langagiĂšres ou Ă©galement Ă dâautres facteurs, tels que lâintelligence gĂ©nĂ©rale, une bonne mĂ©moire ou la motivation?
Le prĂ©sent article propose de revenir sur le concept dâ«aptitude langagiĂšre» en discutant Ă la fois sa validitĂ© et son Ă©volution. Pour conclure, les auteures traitent des possibilitĂ©s â ou non â dâutiliser un tel concept pour contribuer Ă un enseignement diffĂ©renciĂ© des langues Ă©trangĂšres et secondes.+repphzhbib2019
Autoimmunity against INS-IGF2 expressed in human pancreatic islets.
Insulin is a major autoantigen in islet autoimmunity and progression to type 1 diabetes. It has been suggested that the insulin B-chain may be critical to insulin autoimmunity in type 1 diabetes. INS-IGF2 consists of the preproinsulin signal peptide, the insulin B-chain and eight amino acids of the C-peptide in addition to 138 amino acids from the IGF2 gene. We aimed to determine 1) expression of INS-IGF2 in human pancreatic islets and 2) autoantibodies in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes children and controls. INS-IGF2, expressed primarily in beta cells, showed higher levels of expression in islets from normal compared to donors with either type 2 diabetes (p=0.006) or high HbA1c levels (p<0.001). INS-IGF2 autoantibody levels were increased in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes patients (n=304) compared to healthy controls (n=355; p<0.001). Displacement with cold insulin and INS-IGF2 revealed that more patients than controls had doubly reactive insulin-INS-IGF2 autoantibodies. These data suggest that INS-IGF2, which contains the preproinsulin signal peptide, the B-chain and eight amino acids of the C-peptide may be an autoantigen in type 1 diabetes. INS-IGF2 and insulin may share autoantibody binding sites, thus complicating the notion that insulin is the primary autoantigen in type 1 diabetes
Drosophila Immunity: Analysis of PGRP-SB1 Expression, Enzymatic Activity and Function
Peptidoglycan is an essential and specific component of the bacterial cell wall and therefore is an ideal recognition signature for the immune system. Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRPs) are conserved from insects to mammals and able to bind PGN (non-catalytic PGRPs) and, in some cases, to efficiently degrade it (catalytic PGRPs). In Drosophila, several non-catalytic PGRPs function as selective peptidoglycan receptors upstream of the Toll and Imd pathways, the two major signalling cascades regulating the systemic production of antimicrobial peptides. Recognition PGRPs specifically activate the Toll pathway in response to Lys-type peptidoglycan found in most Gram-positive bacteria and the Imd pathway in response to DAP-type peptidoglycan encountered in Gram-positive bacilli-type bacteria and in Gram-negative bacteria. Catalytic PGRPs on the other hand can potentially reduce the level of immune activation by scavenging peptidoglycan. In accordance with this, PGRP-LB and PGRP-SC1A/B/2 have been shown to act as negative regulators of the Imd pathway. In this study, we report a biochemical and genetic analysis of PGRP-SB1, a catalytic PGRP. Our data show that PGRP-SB1 is abundantly secreted into the hemolymph following Imd pathway activation in the fat body, and exhibits an enzymatic activity towards DAP-type polymeric peptidoglycan. We have generated a PGRP-SB1/2 null mutant by homologous recombination, but its thorough phenotypic analysis did not reveal any immune function, suggesting a subtle role or redundancy of PGRP-SB1/2 with other molecules. Possible immune functions of PGRP-SB1 are discussed
The Risk of Severe Infections Following Rituximab Administration in Patients With Autoimmune Kidney Diseases: Austrian ABCDE Registry Analysis.
OBJECTIVE: To characterize the incidence, type, and risk factors of severe infections (SI) in patients with autoimmune kidney diseases treated with rituximab (RTX). METHODS: We conducted a multicenter retrospective cohort study of adult patients with immune-related kidney diseases treated with at least one course of RTX between 2015 and 2019. As a part of the ABCDE Registry, detailed data on RTX application and SI were collected. SI were defined by Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events v5.0 as infectious complications grade 3 and above. Patients were dichotomized between "nephrotic" and "nephritic" indications. The primary outcome was the incidence of SI within 12 months after the first RTX application. RESULTS: A total of 144 patients were included. Twenty-five patients (17.4%) presented with SI, mostly within the first 3 months after RTX administration. Most patients in the nephritic group had ANCA-associated vasculitis, while membranous nephropathy was the leading entity in the nephrotic group. Respiratory infections were the leading SI (n= 10, 40%), followed by urinary tract (n=3, 12%) and gastrointestinal infections (n=2, 8%). On multivariable analysis, body mass index (BMI, 24.6 kg/m2versus 26.9 kg/m2, HR: 0.88; 95%CI: 0.79-0.99; p=0.039) and baseline creatinine (HR: 1.25; 95%CI: 1.04-1.49; p=0.017) were significantly associated with SI. All patients in the nephritic group (n=19; 100%) who experienced a SI received oral glucocorticoid (GC) treatment at the time of infection. Hypogammaglobulinemia was frequent (58.5%) but not associated with SI. CONCLUSIONS: After RTX administration, impaired kidney function and lower BMI are independent risk factors for SI. Patients with nephritic glomerular diseases having concomitant GC treatment might be at higher risk of developing SI
ARTEFACTS: How do we want to deal with the future of our one and only planet?
The European Commissionâs Science and Knowledge Service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), decided to try working hand-in-hand with leading European science centres and museums.
Behind this decision was the idea that the JRC could better support EU Institutions in engaging with the European public. The fact that European Union policies are firmly based on scientific evidence is a strong message which the JRC is uniquely able to illustrate. Such a collaboration would not only provide a platform to explain the benefits of EU policies to our daily lives but also provide an opportunity for European citizens to engage by taking a more active part in the EU policy making process for the future.
A PILOT PROGRAMME
To test the idea, the JRC launched an experimental programme to work with science museums: a perfect partner for three compelling reasons. Firstly, they attract a large and growing number of visitors. Leading science museums in Europe have typically 500 000 visitors per year. Furthermore, they are based in large European cities and attract local visitors as well as tourists from across Europe and beyond.
The second reason for working with museums is that they have mastered the art of how to communicate key elements of sophisticated arguments across to the public and making complex topics of public interest readily accessible. That is a high-value added skill and a crucial part of the valorisation of public-funded research, never to be underestimated.
Finally museums are, at present, undergoing something of a renaissance. Museums today are vibrant environments offering new techniques and technologies to both inform and entertain, and attract visitors of all demographics.JRC.H.2-Knowledge Management Methodologies, Communities and Disseminatio
Variation and Change in Swiss German Agreement Morphology: Spatial, social, and attitudinal effects
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