Effects of proficiency and age of language acquisition on working memory performance in bilinguals

This study examined language proficiency and age of language acquisition influences on working memory performance in bilinguals. Bilingual subjects were administered reading span task in parallel versions for their first and second language. In Experiment 1, language proficiency effect was tested by examination of low and highly proficient second language speakers. In Experiment 2, age of language acquisition was examined by comparing the performance of proficient second language speakers who acquired second language either early or later in their lives. Both proficiency and age of language acquisition were found to affect bilingual working memory performance, and the proficiency effect was observed even at very high levels of language competence. The results support the notion of working memory as a domain that is influenced both by a general pool of resources and certain domain specific factors

Reading sentences in Serbian: Effects of alphabet and reading mode in self-paced reading task

The study examined the influence of alphabet (Cyrillic vs. Latin) and reading mode (silent reading vs. reading aloud) on sentence reading speed in Serbian. Entire-sentence and single-word reading times were obtained from the moving window paradigm in the self-paced sentence reading task. Sentences printed in Latin took less time for reading than sentences printed in Cyrillic and silent reading was more rapid than reading aloud. Single-word processing results followed the pattern observed in entire-sentence analysis. Faster reading of Latin sentences and words is likely a consequence of subjects’ predominant exposure to this alphabet. Reading aloud was slower than silent reading due to the articulation process, which is present in the former but not in the latter. The effect of the alphabet did not depend on reading mode, suggesting that the two modes of reading involve essentially same cognitive processes. Aloud reading procedures do not seem inappropriate for the research of bialphabetism. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. ON179033

Subjective Experience of Poetry

Creating a scale of latent subjective experience of poetry for expert and non-expert readers

Subjective experience of poetry: Latent structure and differences between experts and non-experts

We present a series of studies investigating subjective experience of poetry in expert and non expert readers. In the preliminary study, literature and psychology students produced adjectives descriptive of poetry. Separate lists of adjectives with 5-point Likert-type scales, one for experts, another for non-experts, were created based on their responses. In a series of three subsequent poem rating studies, we show (1) that a more complex factor structure of subjective experience of poetry is formed based on expert responses, (2) that the obtained factor structure for non-experts becomes more similar, yet not entirely identical to the expert solution when non-experts use the adjective list generated by literature students, and (3) that the factor solution obtained for experts remains stable even when a different group of experts rates an entirely different set of poems. The extracted factor structures and their content, differences between expert and non expert readers, and suggestions to how the developed scales of subjective experience of poetry can be used in future studies are discussed

Genotypes and virulence factors in Staphylococcus aureus isolated from dairy cows with subclinical mastitis in Serbia

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus subclinical mastitis and to genotype the S. aureus isolates using the 16S–23S rRNA intergenic spacer (RS-PCR) method. In addition, the genes responsible for adherence, biofilm formation, host evasion, tissue necrosis, methicillin resistance, and enterotoxin production of S. aureus were investigated. The overall prevalence of S. aureus subclinical mastitis in lactating cows was 5.4% (95% confidence interval, CI=4.7–6.1%). An increased risk of S. aureus intramammary infection was observed on small family farms (odds ratio, OR=4.2, 95% CI=2.6–6.6, P < 0.001) and medium-sized farms (OR=3.5, 95% CI=2.2–5.7, P < 0.001). The RS-PCR analysis revealed 44 genotypes and genotype variants, of which 15 new genotypes and five new variants were detected within small and medium-sized farms. S. aureus isolates of new genotypes and genotype variants carried the clfA gene responsible for adherence at a lower frequency (64.8%) and enterotoxin-producing genes sea (20.4%), seb (14.8%) and sec (14.8%) at a higher frequency than the other known genotypes (P < 0.001), and were confirmed to carry the sej and sep genes. The spa gene was detected in all S. aureus isolates, whereas none harbored bap, ser, or tsst-1 genes. Methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus (MRSA) were also detected, with a higher prevalence (19.2%) on large farms with more than 50 cows (P < 0.001). Using molecular techniques as diagnostic tools provides a better understanding of intramammary staphylococcal infections’ occurrence, spread, and eradication

Analysis of the concentrations of some haematological parameters, C-reactive protein and anti-Müllerian hormone in bitches affected by pyometra

The work was aimed to research into the vital signs, haematological and biochemical parameters, acute-phase protein concentrations (CRP, albumin), progesterone (PG) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations in bitches with pyometra and their comparison with those in healthy bitches. In addition, the goal of this work was to assess if some of the tested parameters may be used as a biomarker in the diagnostics of pyometra and the monitoring of the postoperative recovery. Forty 3-6-year-old bitches of various breeds were included in the research and allotted to two groups: the control (C, n = 20) and the diseased – bitches diagnosed with pyometra (P, n = 20). Blood samples for the analyses were taken immediately before surgery (0 h), and 12 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after, excepting for AMH and PG concentrations, which were determined only at 0 h. Clinical examination detected significantly higher respiration rates in bitches with pyometra in comparison to healthy ones at all time points, higher heart rates before and 12 h after surgery, and higher body temperature before and 12 h, 48 h and 72 h post operation (p <.01). Significantly higher concentrations of CRP (p <.01) and lower concentrations of albumin were detected in bitches with pyometra in comparison to their healthy counterparts at all time points. Progesterone and AMH concentration analysis immediately before surgery detected significantly higher levels of the hormone in bitches with pyometra than in the control (p <.01). The inflammatory reaction of the endometrium resulted in a significant AMH concentration increase, whilst increased CRP concentrations and lower albumin concentrations throughout the research may be used as biomarkers of proinflammatory activities, that is of the acute-phase response