Cultural bias and sociolinguistics

Peoples and individuals around the globe continuously develop their own communicative habits. With each generation, adjustments to changing circumstances are made — economic circumstances, natural circumstances, and, for instance, mobility circumstances. The outcome of such transitions is cultural variation, which is visible in hierarchical social systems, belief systems, legal systems, traditions, attire, and all kinds of rituals. Communicative systems are part of culture, and they deserve a role in research focussing on language and communication. However, applying culture as a variable is a challenge, not only because of the cultural variation between peoples and individuals but also because the effects of culture on actual language utterances are hard to measure. Another issue is the dominance of Anglowestern cultural patterns in many analyses. This paper explains these issues and critically reviews the various criteria that well-known cultural models — like the one by Hofstede (1980), Lewis (1969), and Hall (1959, 1976) — use to categorise cultures. Examples of such criteria are: region, relationship with uncertainty, femininity/masculinity, and power relations. The paper concludes by giving a number of practical solutions to the challenge of treating culture as a variable in sociolinguistic research. These solutions are related to, amongst others, the reviewing process for journals, widespread norms of ‘good academic language’, author/editor selection, cross-cultural academic cooperation, and sharing of funds.Language Use in Past and Presen

Gaelic on Skye: Older speakers' identity in a language-shift situation

Language Use in Past and Presen

Gaelic language erosion and revitalization on the Isle of Skye, Scotland.

This paper analyzes the language loss of three generations of a Gaelic-speaking family located on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Participants' linguistic skills were assessed via language ability tests. We focused on plurals, passives, and tense, and we examined synthetic forms. The results confirmed that erosion is occurring in all areas investigated; in particular, the synthetic nature of Gaelic causes problems for younger generation speakers. This suggests weak language transmission through the generations as well as the dominance of English in the community. Through an interview with an expert informant, we also explored the implications of Gaelic education for the Gaelicspeaking community on Skye. Revitalization efforts are currently underway, but despite maintenance efforts such as Gaelic Medium Education (GME), English remains the language of the schoolchildren as well as the community at large. The authors feel that a concerted community revitalization effort is needed in congruence with the application of GME. Maintenance efforts should be directed towards sponsoring Gaelic-speaking community events so that GME students have the opportunity to speak Gaelic outside the classroom as well as experience the viability of the language for communication in different domains.Historical sociolinguistics LUC

Angular sensitivity of blowfly photoreceptors: intracellular measurements and wave-optical predictions

The angular sensitivity of blowfly photoreceptors was measured in detail at wavelengths λ = 355, 494 and 588 nm. The measured curves often showed numerous sidebands, indicating the importance of diffraction by the facet lens. The shape of the angular sensitivity profile is dependent on wavelength. The main peak of the angular sensitivities at the shorter wavelengths was flattened. This phenomenon as well as the overall shape of the main peak can be quantitatively described by a wave-optical theory using realistic values for the optical parameters of the lens-photoreceptor system. At a constant response level of 6 mV (almost dark adapted), the visual acuity of the peripheral cells R1-6 is at longer wavelengths mainly diffraction limited, while at shorter wavelengths the visual acuity is limited by the waveguide properties of the rhabdomere. Closure of the pupil narrows the angular sensitivity profile at the shorter wavelengths. This effect can be fully described by assuming that the intracellular pupil progressively absorbs light from the higher order modes. In light-adapted cells R1-6 the visual acuity is mainly diffraction limited at all wavelengths.

Blueshifts of the emission energy in type-II quantum dot and quantum ring nanostructures

We have studied the ensemble photoluminescence (PL) of 11 GaSb/GaAs quantum dot/ring (QD/QR) samples over ≥5 orders of magnitude of laser power. All samples exhibit a blueshift of PL energy, ΔE, with increasing excitation power, as expected for type-II structures. It is often assumed that this blueshift is due to band-bending at the type-II interface. However, for a sample where charge-state sub-peaks are observed within the PL emission, it is unequivocally shown that the blueshift due to capacitive charging is an order of magnitude larger than the band bending contribution. Moreover, the size of the blueshift and its linear dependence on occupancy predicted by a simple capacitive model are faithfully replicated in the data. In contrast, when QD/QR emission intensity, I, is used to infer QD/QR occupancy, n, via the bimolecular recombination approximation (I ∝ n 2), exponents, x, in Δ E ∝ I x are consistently lower than expected, and strongly sample dependent. We conclude that the exponent x cannot be used to differentiate between capacitive charging and band bending as the origin of the blueshift in type-II QD/QRs, because the bimolecular recombination is not applicable to type-II QD/QRs

Electrical coupling of neuro-ommatidial photoreceptor cells in the blowfly

A new method of microstimulation of the blowfly eye using corneal neutralization was applied to the 6 peripheral photoreceptor cells (R1-R6) connected to one neuro-ommatidium (and thus looking into the same direction), whilst the receptor potential of a dark-adapted photoreceptor cell was recorded by means of an intracellular microelectrode. Stimulation of the photoreceptor cells not impaled elicited responses in the recorded cell of about 20% of the response elicited when stimulating the recorded cell. This is probably caused by gap junctions recently found between the axon terminals of these cells. Stimulation of all 6 cells together yielded responses that were larger and longer than those obtained with stimulation of just the recorded cell, and intensity-response curves that deviated more strongly from linearity. Evidence is presented that the resistance of the axon terminal of the photoreceptor cells quickly drops in response to a light flash, depending on the light intensity. Incorporating the cable properties of the cell body and the axon, the resistance of the gap junctions, and the (adapting) terminal resistance, a theoretical model is presented that explains the measurements well. Finally, it is argued that the gap junctions between the photoreceptor cells may effectively uncouple the synaptic responses of the cells by counteracting the influence of field potentials.

Molecular detection (k-ras) of exfoliated tumour cells in the pelvis is a prognostic factor after resection of rectal cancer?

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>After total mesorectal excision (TME) for rectal cancer around 10% of patients develops local recurrences within the pelvis. One reason for recurrence might be spillage of cancer cells during surgery. This pilot study was conducted to investigate the incidence of remnant cancer cells in pelvic lavage after resection of rectal cancer. DNA from cells obtained by lavage, were analysed by denaturing capillary electrophoresis with respect to mutations in hotspots of the <it>k-ras </it>gene, which are frequently mutated in colorectal cancer.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Of the 237 rectal cancer patients analyzed, 19 had positive lavage fluid. There was a significant survival difference (p = 0.006) between patients with <it>k-ras </it>positive and negative lavage fluid.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Patients with <it>k-ras </it>mutated cells in the lavage immediately after surgery have a reduced life expectation. Detection of exfoliated cells in the abdominal cavity may be a useful diagnostic tool to improve the staging and eventually characterize patients who may benefit from aggressive multimodal treatment of rectal cancer.</p