English prefixation–a typological shift?

In Old English, as in modern Dutch and German, there were a series of prefixes which were unstressed and phonologically constrained; some of them, because they determined the word-class of the derivatives they formed, were typologically unusual. If we trace these prefixes through into modern English, we find that they have lost ground. Partly they have been replaced by corresponding learned prefixes, partly they have simply become marginalised in the system of English. At the same time, if we look at those prefix-like items which are most productive today, we see that they carry their own stress, are phonologically unconstrained, and many of them are semantically much more lexeme-like. We can interpret these observations as a shift from a largely compounding Germanic basis through a long period of English history where prefixes were a norm, and with signs now starting to appear that a return to a more compound-oriented stage of the language is under way. In retrospect, we have no difficulty in explaining the various shifts of type that have occurred. What is interesting is the method by which the compound-orientation is being re-established, and the possible effect of typological pressures on such a shift. The more compound-oriented modern stage is being achieved not through any simple change, but through a conspiracy of different changes which have the combined effect of leaving erstwhile prefixal elements looking more like lexemes. The changes can be seen as being influenced by the pressures which give rise to the so-called suffixing preference across languages: replacing prefixes with lexemes increases the number of items to be recognised by the listener, but allows maximal use of word-initial cues

‘What is the plural of mouse?’ and other unhelpful questions for morphologists

In this paper a number of questions about the morphology of English are posed, and it is shown that each of them carries presuppositions which may be theoretically unsupportable, because there is data which suggests that they are wrong. If we do not make theoretical assumptions, but let ourselves be guided by the data, our theoretical statements may have to be modified, sometimes in crucial ways. While this paper is, to the extent that it asks morphological questions, a contribution to what a morphological theory should comprise, the more general conclusion is that the way in which we frame questions that we expect our theory to answer can have implications for our findings, and that it is always worthwhile querying the content of our fundamental questions.I denne meddelelse, stiller jeg nogen spørgsmål om engelsk morfologi, og viser, at hvert spørgsmål medfører præsuppositioner, som ikke kan støttes konsekvent med fakta fra sproget. Hvis vi lader os styre af de sproglige fakta, bliver vi nødt til at lave om på vores teoretiske stillinger, af og til med vigtige konsekvenser for teorien. Idet meddelelsen handler om morfologiske spørgsmål, udgør den et bidrag til morfologisk teori. Men moralen med fremlæggelsen er bredere: Vi er nødt til hele tiden stille spørgsmål om vores teorier, også de mest grundlæggende ideer i vores teorier, hvis ikke vi vil føres på vildspor, og hvis vi vil forbedre vores forståelse af vores emne

Patient and Team Experiences of Team-based Primary Care

Purpose: The purpose of this multi-sited, interpretive phenomenological study was to explore the team-based care experience for patients with type 2 diabetes and their primary care teams.Background: Over a decade ago, policy makers began to sound the alarm about an impending workforce crisis in primary care. This crisis endures today, as the supply of primary care providers has not kept up with the high demand from population growth, and an aging population with high rates of chronic disease. Primary care workforce and delivery issues are magnified in the care of patients with chronic conditions, particularly patients with type 2 diabetes. Consequently, patients report frustration with the care they receive, their inability to receive timely access to a primary care provider, and the rising costs that they increasingly share. As primary care workload complexity and demand increase, primary care practices are restructuring to team-based models of care by including interdisciplinary members such as registered nurses, pharmacists, behavioral health specialists, health educators, medical assistants, community health workers, and health coaches on the team. While there is ample and growing evidence of the benefits of team-based care, specifically for patients with type 2 diabetes, little is known about how patients experience team-based care or how it impacts engagement with their care.Methods: An interpretive phenomenological approach was used to explore this issue within a purposive sample of clinics (n=5) selected to represent different types of primary care and team settings. Forty-one participants from the 5 clinics were recruited, including 17 patients with diabetes, 6 primary care providers (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants), 2 clinic administrators, 4 registered nurses, 2 health educators/wellness coaches, 8 medical assistants and 2 front desk representatives. Four data collection strategies were triangulated: individual semi-structured interviews with clinic patients, team focus groups, targeted observations of team-patient and team interactions; and clinic documents. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using an interpretive approach.Results: The majority of patients experienced team-based care as an enhanced sensation of support: like a family, a net, a support, or a feeling of being surrounded. Team members provided an authentic, nurturing presence for patients to express their suffering, challenges, frustrations and confusions. Patients felt that they entered into a caring community where they felt understood and those caring for them were “there for them.” Team members felt equally supported by a team environment through mutual learning, a shared awareness of patient care responsibilities, and an enhanced sense of joy in practice. Barriers to patients’ engagement with teams include team conflict, poor team communication and organization, inadequate staff training and overly complex or large teams. Several critical practices of high-performing health care teams were revealed: shared commitment (to each other and to their patients), value and care of teammates, mutual learning, trust in each other to perform their roles in the team and strong inter-team communication.Conclusion: This research provides important insights into the experience of team-based care from within the teams’ and patients’ worlds to highlight what patients value in their health care experience, and how team-based primary care may provide a means to achieving greater patient engagement and satisfaction with their care, while sustaining a more fulfilled and joyful primary care workforce

A New Genus of Miniaturized and Pug-Nosed Gecko from South America (Sphaerodactylidae: Gekkota)

Sphaerodactyl geckos comprise five genera distributed across Central and South America and the Caribbean. We estimated phylogenetic relationships among sphaerodactyl genera using both separate and combined analyses of seven nuclear genes. Relationships among genera were incongruent at different loci and phylogenies were characterized by short, in some cases zero-length, internal branches and poor phylogenetic support at most nodes. We recovered a polyphyletic Coleodactylus, with Coleodactylus amazonicus being deeply divergent from the remaining Coleodactylus species sampled. The C. amazonicus lineage possessed unique codon deletions in the genes PTPN12 and RBMX while the remaining Coleodactylus species had unique codon deletions in RAG1. Topology tests could not reject a monophyletic Coleodactylus, but we show that short internal branch lengths decreased the accuracy of topology tests because there were not enough data along these short branches to support one phylogenetic hypothesis over another. Morphological data corroborated results of the molecular phylogeny, with Coleodactylus exhibiting substantial morphological heterogeneity. We identified a suite of unique craniofacial features that differentiate C. amazonicus not only from other Coleodactylus species, but also from all other geckos. We describe this novel sphaerodactyl lineage as a new genus, Chatogekko gen. nov. We present a detailed osteology of Chatogekko, characterizing osteological correlates of miniaturization that provide a framework for future studies in sphaerodactyl systematics and biology

Assessment and monitoring of marine debris in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary

Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) is located 32.4 km offshore of Sapelo Island, Georgia. The ecological importance of this area is related to the transition between tropical and temperate waters, and the existence of a topographically complex system of ledges. Due to its central location, GRNMS can be used as a focal site to study the accumulation and impacts of marine debris on the Atlantic continental shelf offshore of the Southeast United States. Previously, researchers characterized marine debris in GRNMS and reported that incidence of the debris at the limited densely colonized ledge sites was significantly greater than at sand or sparsely colonized live bottom, and is further influenced by the level of boating activity and physiographic characteristics (e.g., ledge height). Information gleaned from the initial marine debris characterization was used to devise a strategy for prioritizing cleanup and monitoring efforts. However, a significant gap in knowledge was the rate of debris accumulation. The primary objective of this study was to select, mark, and perform initial marine debris surveys at permanent monitoring sites within GRNMS to quantify long-term trends in types, abundance, impacts, and accumulation rates of debris. Ledge sites were selected to compare types, abundance, and accumulation rates of marine debris between a) areas of high and low use and b) short and tall ledges. Nine permanent monitoring sites were marked and initially surveyed in 2007/2008. Surveys were conducted within a 50 x 4 m transect for a total survey area of 200 square meters. All debris was removed and detailed information was taken on the types of debris, quantity, and associations with benthic fauna. Information on associations with benthic fauna included degree of entanglement, type of organism with which it is entangled or resting on, degree of fouling, and visible impacts such as tissue abrasions. Sites were re-surveyed approximately one year later to quantify new accumulation. During the initial survey, a total of ten debris items, totaling 16.3 kg in weight, were removed from two monitoring stations, both “tall” sites within the area of high boat use. Year-one accumulation totaled five items and approximately 7 kg in weight. Similar to the initial survey, all debris was found at sites in the area of high boat use. However, in contrast to the initial survey, two of these items were found on medium-height ledges. Removed items included fishing line, leaders, rope, plastic, and fabric. Although items were often encrusted in benthic biota or entangled on the ledge, impacts such as abrasions or other injuries were not observed. During the 2009 monitoring efforts, volunteer divers were trained to conduct the survey. Monitoring protocols were documented for GRNMS staff and included as an appendix of this report to enable long-term monitoring of sites. Additionally, national reconnaissance data (e.g. satellite, radar, aerial surveys) and other information on known fishing locations were examined for patterns of resource use and correlations with debris occurrence patterns. A previous model predicting the density of marine debris based on ledge features and boat use was refined and the results were used to generate a map of predicted debris density for all ledges

Winter mortality of the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) in the Chesapeake Bay

Over its range, the blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) is exposed to a wide range of environmental conditions. At mid-latitudes, within its range, overwintering mortality may play an important role in regulating local blue crab populations. A 121-day 2x2x2 factorial experiment was used to test for the effects of temperature (3C, 5C), salinity (10, 25) and sediment (sediment, no sediment) on survival. An accelerated failure time model was fit to the survival data. Time to death significantly increased with increasing temperature, salinity, and crab size. I applied a temperature and salinity-dependent survival model to empirical temperature and salinity data to explore spatial and interannual patterns in overwintering mortality in the Chesapeake Bay. Predicted survival was highest in the warmer, saline waters of the lower Bay and decreased with increasing latitude. There was also significant interannual variation in that predicted survival was lowest after the severe winters of 1996 and 2003

Influence of hard bottom morphology on fish assemblages of the continental shelf off Georgia, southeastern USA

Various reef types worldwide have inconsistent relationships among fish assemblage parameters and benthic characteristics, thus there is a need to identify factors driving assemblage structure specific to each reef type and locale. Limestone ledges are known to be key habitats for bottom fish on the continental shelf of the southeastern USA, however, the specific factors that link them to fish assemblages have not been quantified. Bottom fishes and habitat characteristics on ledges were surveyed at a study site located centrally in the southeastern USA continental shelf. Species richness, diversity, abundance, and biomass of fish were higher at ledges than on flat bottom. Species richness, abundance, and biomass of fish were well explained by ledge variables including percent cover of sessile invertebrates, total height, and height of undercut recesses. Multivariate analyses based on biomass of individual species at ledges revealed two fish assemblages associated with four ledge types. One assemblage was associated with ledges that were tall, heavily colonized with sessile invertebrates, large in area, and did or did not have undercuts. The other assemblage was associated with ledges that were short, not undercut, smaller in area, and were or were not heavily colonized by invertebrates. Seafloor classification schemes presently used in the region do not adequately capture hard bottom diversity to identify the location and extent of essential fish habitats for ecological and fisheries purposes. Given that ledges cover only ∼1% to 5% of the southeastern USA continental shelf, they merit the highest levels of consideration in regional research, conservation, and management plans