Multilingual corpora: models, methods, uses

This paper gives an account of our work on multilingual corpora at the University of Oslo. Different corpus models are presented, in particular the bi-directional translation model used in building the English-Norwegian Parallel Corpus (ENPC). The steps in building the ENPC are briefly outlined, with some comments on problems encountered. Most of the paper is concerned with the use of this sort of corpus. There is a brief introduction to the search program developed for the ENPC. The main point of the paper is to show that the bi-directional corpus model makes it possible to carry out contrastive studies and simultaneously control for translation effects. Bengt Altenberg’s notion of mutual correspondence is introduced, with reference to his study of adverbial connectors in English and Swedish, based on the sister corpus of the ENPC, the English-Swedish Parallel Corpus. As an illustration of translation effects, there are some comments on the distribution of two verbs of posture in the ENPC: Norwegian stå and its English cognate stand. The difference is sharpest in original texts, while the distribution in the translations is clearly tinged by the source texts.O presente artigo relata nossos trabalhos com corpora multilíngües na Universidade de Oslo. Diferentes modelos de corpora são apresentados, em especial, o modelo bidirecional de tradução usado no English-Norwegian Parallel Corpus (ENPC). As etapas de construção do ENPC são descritas de forma sucinta, acompanhadas de alguns comentários acerca dos problemas encontrados. Grande parte do artigo é dedicada aos usos desse tipo de corpus. Há também uma breve introdução à ferramenta de busca desenvolvida para o ENPC. O principal objetivo aqui é mostrar que o modelo bidirecional de corpus de tradução possibilita a realização de estudos contrastivos e permite, simultaneamente, observar efeitos de tradução. A noção de correspondência mútua, introduzida por Bent Altenberg, é discutida quando comentamos seu estudo sobre conectores adverbias em inglês e sueco, desenvolvido com base no corpus English-Swedish Parallel Corpus, criado segundo os mesmos parâmetros do ENPC. Como exemplo de efeitos de tradução, são tecidos alguns comentários quanto à distribuição de dois verbos de posição no ENPC: o norueguês stå e seu cognato em inglês stand. A diferença é mais marcada em textos originais; já nas traduções, a distribuição é claramente influenciada pelos textos originais

Some ways of looking into a multilingual corpus

In recent years there has been a fast increasing interest in multilingual corpora. What is the relevance of multilingual corpora in linguistic research? As I see it, they are important for a number of reasons: · They make it possible to compare languages in a systematic manner, including preferences in language use. · The comparison throws the characteristics of the individual languages into relief and gives evidence of typological as well as of universal features. · Multilingual corpora consisting of original texts and their translations provide a way of making meaning visible. · They can be used to reveal characteristics of translated vs. original texts. · They allow applications in foreign-language teaching, lexicography, translator training, and language engineering. In my talk I will report on work we have done at the University of Oslo. The focus will be on ways of looking into a multilingual corpus (for more detail, see Johansson 1998 and 2007)

Interior insulation retrofit of a historical brick wall using vacuum insulation panels: Hygrothermal numerical simulations and laboratory investigations

Old listed buildings need to be retrofitted to reduce the energy use for heating. The possible thickness of the insulation layer is limited by the existing construction. Vacuum insulation panels (VIPs) require less thickness than conventional insulation materials to reach the same thermal resistance. Therefore, it could be more appropriate to use VIPs than conventional insulation materials when retrofitting the building envelope of listed buildings. The aim of this study is to investigate the hygrothermal performance of a brick wall with wooden beam ends after it was insulated on the interior with VIPs. One- and two-dimensional hygrothermal numerical simulations were used to design a laboratory study in a large-scale building envelope climate simulator. The wall was exposed to driving rain on the exterior surface and a temperature gradient. The relative humidity in the wall increased substantially when exposed to driving rain. The moisture content in the wooden beams also increased. There was no significant difference between the relative humidity in the wooden beam ends for the cases with and without VIPs. However, it was found that the reduced temperature in the brick after the VIPs were added led to a higher relative humidity in the wooden beams. It was also clear that when VIPs were added to the interior, the drying capacity to that side of the wall was substantially reduced. Finally, calculations of the U-value showed a large potential to reduce the energy use using VIPs on the interior of brick walls

A pooled analysis of karyotypic patterns, breakpoints and imbalances in 783 cytogenetically abnormal multiple myelomas reveals frequently involved chromosome segments as well as significant age- and sex-related differences.

The cytogenetic features (ploidy, complexity, breakpoints, imbalances) were ascertained in 783 abnormal multiple myeloma (MM) cases to identify frequently involved chromosomal regions as well as a possible impact of age/sex. The series included MM patients from the Mitelman Database of Chromosome Aberrations in Cancer and from our own laboratory. Hyperdiploidy was most common, followed by hypodiploidy, pseudodiploidy and tri-/tetraploidy. Most cases were complex, with a median of eight changes per patient. The distribution of modal numbers differed between younger and older patients, but was not related to sex. No sex- or age-related differences regarding the number of anomalies were found. The most frequent genomic breakpoints were 14q32, 11q13, 1q10, 8q24, 1p11, 1q21, 22q11, 1p13, 1q11, 19q13, 1p22, 6q21 and 17p11. Breaks in 1p13, 6q21 and 11q13 were more common in the younger age group. The most frequent imbalances were + 9, - 13, + 15, + 19, + 11 and - Y. Trisomy 11 and monosomy 16 were more common among men, while -X was more frequent among women. Loss of Y as the sole change and + 5 were more common in elderly patients, and - 14 was more frequent in the younger age group. The present findings strongly suggest that some karyotypic features of MM are influenced by endogenous and/or exogenous factors

Strategic alterations of posture are delayed in Parkinson’s disease patients during deep brain stimulation

© 2021 The Authors. Published by Springer. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-02813-yParkinson’s disease (PD) is characterized by rigidity, akinesia, postural instability and tremor. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) reduces tremor but the effects on postural instability are inconsistent. Another component of postural control is the postural strategy, traditionally referred to as the ankle or hip strategy, which is determined by the coupling between the joint motions of the body. We aimed to determine whether DBS STN and vision (eyes open vs. eyes closed) affect the postural strategy in PD in quiet stance or during balance perturbations. Linear motion was recorded from the knee, hip, shoulder and head in 10 patients with idiopathic PD with DBS STN (after withdrawal of other anti-PD medication), 25 younger adult controls and 17 older adult controls. Correlation analyses were performed on anterior–posterior linear motion data to determine the coupling between the four positions measured. All participants were asked to stand for a 30 s period of quiet stance and a 200 s period of calf vibration. The 200 s vibration period was subdivided into four 50 s periods to study adaptation between the first vibration period (30–80 s) and the last vibration period (180–230 s). Movement was recorded in patients with PD with DBS ON and DBS OFF, and all participants were investigated with eyes closed and eyes open. DBS settings were randomized and double-blindly programmed. Patients with PD had greater coupling of the body compared to old and young controls during balance perturbations (p ≤ 0.046). Controls adopted a strategy with greater flexibility, particularly using the knee as a point of pivot, whereas patients with PD adopted an ankle strategy, i.e., they used the ankle as the point of pivot. There was higher flexibility in patients with PD with DBS ON and eyes open compared to DBS OFF and eyes closed (p ≤ 0.011). During balance perturbations, controls quickly adopted a new strategy that they retained throughout the test, but patients with PD were slower to adapt. Patients with PD further increased the coupling between segmental movement during balance perturbations with DBS ON but retained a high level of coupling with DBS OFF throughout balance perturbations. The ankle strategy during balance perturbations in patients with PD was most evident with DBS OFF and eyes closed. The increased coupling with balance perturbations implies a mechanism to reduce complexity at a cost of exerting more energy. Strategic alterations of posture were altered by DBS in patients with PD and were delayed. Our findings therefore show that DBS does not fully compensate for disease-related effects on posture.The authors’ wish to acknowledge the financial supported from the Swedish Medical Research Council (grant nr. 17x-05693).Published versio

Deep brain stimulation in the subthalamic nuclei alters postural alignment and adaptation in Parkinson’s disease

© 2021 The Authors. Published by PLOS. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0259862Parkinson’s disease (PD) can produce postural abnormalities of the standing body position such as kyphosis. We investigated the effects of PD, deep brain stimulation (DBS) in the subthalamic nucleus (STN), vision and adaptation on body position in a well-defined group of patients with PD in quiet standing and during balance perturbations. Ten patients with PD and 25 young and 17 old control participants were recruited. Body position was measured with 3D motion tracking of the ankle, knee, hip, shoulder and head. By taking the ankle as reference, we mapped the position of the joints during quiet standing and balance perturbations through repeated calf muscle vibration. We did this to explore the effect of PD, DBS in the STN, and vision on the motor learning process of adaptation in response to the repeated stimulus. We found that patients with PD adopt a different body position with DBS ON vs. DBS OFF, to young and old controls, and with eyes open vs. eyes closed. There was an altered body position in PD with greater flexion of the head, shoulder and knee (p≤0.042) and a posterior position of the hip with DBS OFF (p≤0.014). With DBS ON, body position was brought more in line with the position taken by control participants but there was still evidence of greater flexion at the head, shoulder and knee. The amplitude of movement during the vibration period decreased in controls at all measured sites with eyes open and closed (except at the head in old controls with eyes open) showing adaptation which contrasted the weaker adaptive responses in patients with PD. Our findings suggest that alterations of posture and greater forward leaning with repeated calf vibration, are independent from reduced movement amplitude changes. DBS in the STN can significantly improve body position in PD although the effects are not completely reversed. Patients with PD maintain adaptive capabilities by leaning further forward and reducing movement amplitude despite their kyphotic posture.Published onlin

Spectral analysis of body movement during deep brain stimulation in Parkinson’s disease

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Gait and Posture, available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2021.03.023 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Background The characteristics of Parkinson’s disease (PD) include postural instability and resting tremor. However, reductions of tremor amplitude do not always improve postural stability. Research question What is the effect of deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) on spectral analysis of body movement in patients with PD when tested without anti-PD medication? The effect of visual cues was also studied. Methods Ten patients with PD (mean age 64.3 years, range 59−69 years) and 17 control participants (mean age 71.2 years, range 65–79 years) were recruited. Spectral power following a period of quiet stance (35 s) was analysed in three different spectral power bands (0−4 Hz, 4−7 Hz and 7−25 Hz). Motion markers were secured to the head, shoulder, hip, and knee, which recorded movements in two directions, the anteroposterior and lateral. Results DBS STN significantly changed the spectral distribution pattern across the body in the anteroposterior (p = 0.029) and lateral directions (p ≤ 0.003). DBS predominantly reduced spectral power at the head (p ≤ 0.037) and shoulder (p ≤ 0.031) in the lateral direction. The spectral power of the lower and upper body in patients with PD, with DBS ON, were more similar to the control group, than to DBS OFF. Visual cues mainly reduced spectral power in the anteroposterior direction at the shoulder (p ≤ 0.041) in controls and in patients with PD with DBS ON. Significance There is an altered postural strategy in patients with PD with DBS ON as shown by an altered spectral power distribution pattern across body segments and a reduction of spectral power in the lateral direction at the head and shoulder. A reduction of spectral power in controls and in patients with PD with DBS ON suggests that visual cues are able to reduce spectral power to some extent, but not with DBS OFF where postural sway and power are larger.Published versio

Combining [(11)C]-AnxA5 PET imaging with serum biomarkers for improved detection in live mice of modest cell death in human solid tumor xenografts

BACKGROUND: In vivo imaging using Annexin A5-based radioligands is a powerful technique for visualizing massive cell death, but has been less successful in monitoring the modest cell death typically seen in solid tumors after chemotherapy. Here we combined dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using Annexin A5 with a serum-based apoptosis marker, for improved sensitivity and specificity in assessment of chemotherapy-induced cell death in a solid tumor model. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Modest cell death was induced by doxorubicin in a mouse xenograft model with human FaDu head and neck cancer cells. PET imaging was based on (11)C-labeled Sel-tagged Annexin A5 ([(11)C]-AnxA5-ST) and a size-matched control. 2-deoxy-2-[(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose ([(18)F]-FDG) was utilized as a tracer of tissue metabolism. Serum biomarkers for cell death were ccK18 and K18 (M30 Apoptosense® and M65). Apoptosis in tissue sections was verified ex vivo for validation. Both PET imaging using [(11)C]-AnxA5-ST and serum ccK18/K18 levels revealed treatment-induced cell death, with ccK18 displaying the highest detection sensitivity. [(18)F]-FDG uptake was not affected by this treatment in this tumor model. [(11)C]-AnxA5-ST gave robust imaging readouts at one hour and its short half-life made it possible to perform paired scans in the same animal in one imaging session. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The combined use of dynamic PET with [(11)C]-AnxA5-ST, showing specific increases in tumor binding potential upon therapy, with ccK18/K18 serum measurements, as highly sensitive markers for cell death, enabled effective assessment of modest therapy-induced cell death in this mouse xenograft model of solid human tumors.VetenskapsrådetPublishe

Effects of deep brain stimulation on postural control in Parkinson's disease

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Elsevier in Computers in Biology and Medicine on 29/05/2020, available online: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compbiomed.2020.103828 The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.The standard approach to the evaluation of tremor and stability control in medical practice is subjective scoring. The objective of this study was to show that signal processing of physiological data, that are known to be altered by tremor and other cardinal symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD), can quantify the postural dynamics of this disease and the effects of DBS technology. We measured postural control and its capacity to adapt to balance perturbations with a force platform and perturbed balance by altering visual feedback and using pseudo-random binary sequence perturbations (PRBS) of different durations. Our signal processing involved converting the postural control data into spectral power with Fast-Fourier Transformation across a wide bandwidth and then subdividing this into three bands (0–4 Hz, 4–7 Hz and 7–25 Hz). We quantified the amount of power in each bandwidth. From 25 eligible participants, 10 PD participants (9 males, mean age 63.8 years) fulfilled the inclusion criteria; idiopathic PD responsive to l-Dopa; >1 year use of bilateral STN stimulation. Seventeen controls (9 males, mean age 71.2 years) were studied for comparison. Participants with PD were assessed after overnight withdrawal of anti-PD medications. Postural control was measured with a force platform during quiet stance (35 s) and during PRBS calf muscle vibration that perturbed stance (200 s). Tests were performed with eyes open and eyes closed and with DBS ON and DBS OFF. The balance perturbation period was divided into five sequential 35-s periods to assess the subject's ability to address postural imbalance using adaptation. The signal processing analyses revealed that activating the DBS device did not significantly change the dynamics of postural control in the 0–4 Hz spectral power but the device reduced the use of spectral power >4 Hz; a finding that was present in both anteroposterior and lateral directions, during vibration, and more so in eyes open tests. Visual feedback, which usually improves postural stability, was less effective in participants with PD with DBS OFF across all postural sway frequencies during quiet stance and during balance perturbations. The expected adaptation of postural control was found in healthy participants between the first and last balance perturbation period. However, adaptation was almost abolished across all spectral frequencies in both the anteroposterior and lateral directions, with both eyes open and eyes closed and DBS ON and OFF in participants with PD. To conclude, this study revealed that the DBS technology altered the spectral frequency dynamics of postural control in participants through a reduction of the power used >4 Hz. Moreover, the DBS device tended to increase the stabilizing effect of vision across all spectral bands. However, the signal processing analyses also revealed that DBS was not able to restore the adaptive motor control abilities in PD

Use of COX-2 inhibitors for preventing immunodeficiency

publication date: 2004-04-29; filing date: 2001-07-20The present invention provides a method of treating or preventing a disorder typified by an immunodificiency (e.g. HIV), wherein the patient is administered a COX-2 inhibitor or derivative or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, preferably diisopropylfluorophasphate. L-745337, rofecoxib, NS 398, SC 58125, etodolac, meloxicam, celecoxib or nimesulide, and compositions and products containing the same or use of the same in preparing medicaments and for treatment