Linguistics

Contains reports on one research project.National Institute of Mental Health (Grant 2 PO1 MH-13390-06)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 TO1 HD-00111-07

The theory of markedness in generative grammar.

Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics.Bibliography: leaves 169-180.Ph.D

Linguistics

Contains research objectives and reports on four research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 TO1 HD00111-08)National Institute of Mental Health (Grant 2 P01 MH13390-06

Sensitivity of the gamma band auditory steady state response to linguistic features of a stimulus

Sensitivity of the gamma band auditory steady state response to linguistic features of a stimulu

Adjunctive rifampicin for Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (ARREST): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia is a common cause of severe community-acquired and hospital-acquired infection worldwide. We tested the hypothesis that adjunctive rifampicin would reduce bacteriologically confirmed treatment failure or disease recurrence, or death, by enhancing early S aureus killing, sterilising infected foci and blood faster, and reducing risks of dissemination and metastatic infection. METHODS: In this multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, adults (≥18 years) with S aureus bacteraemia who had received ≤96 h of active antibiotic therapy were recruited from 29 UK hospitals. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) via a computer-generated sequential randomisation list to receive 2 weeks of adjunctive rifampicin (600 mg or 900 mg per day according to weight, oral or intravenous) versus identical placebo, together with standard antibiotic therapy. Randomisation was stratified by centre. Patients, investigators, and those caring for the patients were masked to group allocation. The primary outcome was time to bacteriologically confirmed treatment failure or disease recurrence, or death (all-cause), from randomisation to 12 weeks, adjudicated by an independent review committee masked to the treatment. Analysis was intention to treat. This trial was registered, number ISRCTN37666216, and is closed to new participants. FINDINGS: Between Dec 10, 2012, and Oct 25, 2016, 758 eligible participants were randomly assigned: 370 to rifampicin and 388 to placebo. 485 (64%) participants had community-acquired S aureus infections, and 132 (17%) had nosocomial S aureus infections. 47 (6%) had meticillin-resistant infections. 301 (40%) participants had an initial deep infection focus. Standard antibiotics were given for 29 (IQR 18-45) days; 619 (82%) participants received flucloxacillin. By week 12, 62 (17%) of participants who received rifampicin versus 71 (18%) who received placebo experienced treatment failure or disease recurrence, or died (absolute risk difference -1·4%, 95% CI -7·0 to 4·3; hazard ratio 0·96, 0·68-1·35, p=0·81). From randomisation to 12 weeks, no evidence of differences in serious (p=0·17) or grade 3-4 (p=0·36) adverse events were observed; however, 63 (17%) participants in the rifampicin group versus 39 (10%) in the placebo group had antibiotic or trial drug-modifying adverse events (p=0·004), and 24 (6%) versus six (2%) had drug interactions (p=0·0005). INTERPRETATION: Adjunctive rifampicin provided no overall benefit over standard antibiotic therapy in adults with S aureus bacteraemia. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment

Running head: STIMULUS PRESENTATION AND SEX ROLE Effects of stimulus presentation and 1 Effects of Stimulus Presentation and Sex Role on Sex Differences in Mental Rotation

Effects of stimulus presentation and 2 Two factors influencing sex differences in mental rotation, stimulus presentation and sex role, were investigated. Effects of stimulus presentation were explored by comparing scores on the Vandenberg Mental Rotation Test (a pictorial, paper-based test) to scores on an identical test composed of three-dimensional models of the Vandenberg figures (an object-based test). There were significant main effects of sex (male score> female score) and of test type (object score> pictorial score), but no significant interaction. Thus, the data did not support the hypothesis that the reduced demand on working memory, provided by the object test, would reduce the differences between female and male performance. An effect of practice was observed, as the tests were administered within-subjects, yielding increased scores on the object-based test if the pictorial test was taken first. A relationship between degree of masculinity and test score showed support for the hypothesized association between sex role and mental rotation ability. Effects of stimulus presentation and 3 Effects of Stimulus Complexity and Sex Role on Sex Differences in Mental Rotation The origin of sex differences in cognitive abilities is a persistent and widely studied mystery of cognitive science. Although many investigations have been made, little has been determined about why the differences occur. One central issue concerns the differing performance of males and females on tests of spatial ability (specifically on tests of mental rotation) as these tests almost invariably exhibit superior performance o