Main Concepts for Two Picture Description Tasks: An Addition to Richardson and Dalton, 2016

Background: Proposition analysis of the discourse of persons with aphasia (PWAs) has a long history, yielding important advancements in our understanding of communication impairments in this population. Recently, discourse measures have been considered primary outcome measures, and multiple calls have been made for improved psychometric properties of discourse measures. Aims: To advance the use of discourse analysis in PWAs by providing Main Concept Analysis checklists and descriptive statistics for healthy control performance on the analysis for the Cat in the Tree and Refused Umbrella narrative tasks utilized in the AphasiaBank database protocol. Methods & Procedures: Ninety-two control transcripts, stratified into four age groups (20–39 years; 40–59; 60–79; 80+), were downloaded from the AphasiaBank database. Relevant concepts were identified, and those spoken by at least one-third of the control sample were considered to be a main concept (MC). A multilevel coding system was used to determine the accuracy and completeness of the MCs produced by control speakers. Outcomes & Results: MC checklists for two discourse tasks are provided. Descriptive statistics are reported and examined to assist readers with evaluation of the normative data. Conclusions: These checklists provide clinicians and researchers with a tool to reliably assess the discourse of PWAs. They also help address the gap in available psychometric data with which to compare PWAs to healthy controls

Regenerating the academic workforce: the careers, intentions and motivations of higher degree research students in Australia

Abstract The main findings of this report are based on the outcomes from the National Research Student Survey (NRSS) conducted in June 2010 across 38 of the 39 universities in Australia. In total 11,710 Higher Degree by Research students (those enrolled in PhD and masters by research degrees, also referred to simply as ‘research students’ in this report) responded to the NRSS, providing a 25.5 per cent response rate across the country. These response numbers represent the largest collection of survey responses from research students ever undertaken in Australia. The report primarily explores the career intentions and motivations of these students. It provides particular emphasis on the interests of Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students (referred to in this report as ‘research students’) in following an academic career on completion of their degree and the support they have received in terms of preparation for university teaching during their candidature. In the context of growing student enrolments and the large numbers of predicted retirements associated with an ageing academic workforce there is a need to examine the career intentions of research students. This report explores the extent to which the current cohort of research students may be a source of replenishment for the academic profession in the context of an ageing academic workforce. It is important to remember that the traditional notion of an academic being someone who has made a linear transition from school to university, to a HDR and on to academia is outdated. Research students come to the HDR from a diverse variety of professional backgrounds and have equally diverse aspirations for their careers after gaining their qualification. Some research students m y already be working in universities in an academic capacity. Many intend to use their research degree as a springboard to a career outside of the university sector. Others undertake a research degree out of interest in the subject matter and simply for the pleasure of studying at an advanced level. Nevertheless, those research students who aspire to an academic career do represent an important source of future academics. The findings of this report raise a number of crucial issues relating to the research degree in Australian universities, the career aspirations of research students and potential issues for the future of the academic workforce over the coming decade. Recommended Citation Edwards, Daniel; Bexley, Emmaline; and Richardson, Sarah, "Regenerating the academic workforce: the careers, intentions and motivations of higher degree research students in Australia: findings of the National Research Student Survey (NRSS)" (2011). http://research.acer.edu.au/higher_education/2

A Large-Scale Comparison of Main Concept Production Between Persons with Aphasia and Persons Without Brain Injury

Purpose: The purposes of this study are to provide clinicians and researchers with introductory psychometric data for the main concept analysis (MCA), a measure of discourse informativeness, and specifically, to provide descriptive and comparative statistical information about the performance of a large sample of persons not brain injured (PNBIs) and persons with aphasia (PWAs) on AphasiaBank discourse tasks. Method: Transcripts of 5 semi-spontaneous discourse tasks were retrieved from the AphasiaBank database and scored according to detailed checklists and scoring procedures. Transcripts from 145 PNBIs and 238 PWAs were scored; descriptive statistics, median tests, and effect sizes are reported. Results: PWAs demonstrated overall lower informativeness scores and more frequent production of statements that were inaccurate and/or incomplete. Differences between PNBIs and PWAs were observed for all main concept measures and stories. Comparisons of PNBIs and aphasia subtypes revealed significant differences for all groups, although the pattern of differences and strength of effect sizes varied by group and discourse task. Conclusions: These results may improve the investigative and clinical utility of the MCA by providing descriptive and comparative information for PNBIs and PWAs for standardized discourse tasks that can be reliably scored. The results indicate that the MCA is sensitive to differences in discourse as a result of aphasia

A ‘Stain on Silence’: The Registration of Trauma in the Comics Memoirs of Alison Bechdel and Art Spiegelman

The value of comics as a medium for serious literary expression, despite growing popularity and recognition, is still contested. Two of the most successful examples of the medium, Art Spiegelman’s Maus (1986 & 1992) and Alison Bechdel’s Fun Home (2006), use differing and similar strategies to narrate the transmission of trauma from parent to child. Maus records the testimony of Spiegelman’s survivor father’s experiences in hiding in Poland and in Auschwitz and Dachau, as well as the process of this testimony and the conflicted relationship between father and son. Fun Home’s traumatic history centres on Bechdel’s artistically ambitious father’s closeted affairs with teenage boys, and his overbearing influence on her own artistry and queer sexuality. This thesis tracks the narrative and graphic registration of trauma in these two memoirs, through their use of archival materials, consideration of the ethical problems of the representation of extremity and history, and treatment of narrative time

Independence and deference : a study of the West Riding electorate, 1832-1841

The importance of the Great Reform Act and its positive effect upon the development of popular, participative politics has recently been challenged. This study seeks to rehabilitate the 1832 Act and to examine the consequences of this major piece of franchise reform upon the electorate of the West Riding of Yorkshire. The central focus is the twin themes of independence and deference; the two are not necessarily opposing forces. Both were essential elements in the electoral politics of the region and both had clearly defined and demonstrable boundaries. The region under investigation, the West Riding, portrayed a range of electoral experiences in the early nineteenth century and thus provides an important local case-study which can add a further dimension to perceptions of electoral politics in the nation as a whole. A comparative examination is made of the pre-existing small boroughs of the West Riding; the smaller new boroughs under varying degrees of influence; the large independent boroughs and the county electorate. The thesis concentrates on the voting populations of these constituencies - an analysis of over forty thousand individuals. A separate chapter is devoted to a psephological appraisal of the West Riding electorate which emphasises the voters' heightened motivation, partisanship and participation in the decade after 1832. In addition, other players in the electoral politics of the period are incorporated into this assessment. The unenfranchised used the knowledge and the confidence that they had gained from the reform agitation in the early eighteen-thirties to enhance their role in the early post-reform elections. The policy issues which dominated the hustings of West Riding in that decade were centred around demands from the working classes for social and political reform. Much of the initiative was wrested away from candidates, voters and patrons and focused upon the canvassing and campaigning of those without the vote. The position of the electoral patrons is also examined with a particular focus on female patrons and electoral politics in the West Riding. Finally, the processes and procedures of electoral politics are investigated including a survey of the men who stood for parliament, the substance of their campaigns, the political parties and the ceremony and ritual of elections

Differentiating the effects of two non-native fish in the Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge

This study seeks to determine the individual effects of two non-native fish, the brook stickleback, Culaea inconstans, and pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus, on the aquatic invertebrates and food webs of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR). Ten ponds were analyzed and compared with stable isotope analysis and invertebrate abundance data. Three ponds were chosen to represent each of the following categories: fishless, brook stickleback invaded (BS), and coinvaded, along with a single pumpkinseed (PS) pond. Overall, δ[superscript]13C and δ[superscript]15N values increased in invaded ponds, indicating shifts in the zooplankton community structure and the carbon source of predatory invertebrates. Mean δ[superscript]13C was the highest among coinvaded ponds at 6.35% greater than mean fishless δ[superscript]13C, reflecting a shift towards benthic carbon sources. Mean δ[superscript]15N of BS ponds was 2.85% greater than fishless, which may indicate a greater amount of omnivory among invertebrate predators within BS ponds. Mean zooplankton length decreased by 104% in the presence of BS ponds and 79% in coinvaded ponds. The addition of pumpkinseed was found to be the primary factor effecting zooplankton abundance and biomass, where abundance was 662.3% greater in coinvaded ponds than in fishless ponds and biomass was 328.6% greater than fishless ponds. Stickleback alone was not found to be a significant factor in abundance or biomass. The increase in abundance and biomass in coinvaded ponds were a result of an increase in small zooplankton species, especially Chydoridae species (17-fold greater abundance), and reduction of larger branchiopods. Invertebrate predators such as Hirudinae and Coleoptera demonstrated enriched δ[superscript]13C and δ[superscript]15N, likely due to increased omnivory in the presence of fish. The largest amount of variation in isotopic values and zooplankton community structure was seen among coinvaded ponds and the possible explanatory factor of relative fish abundance (CPUE) was explored but undetermined due to the inability to rule out other factors such as seasonal effects. Further research is needed to differentiate the effects of these fish, particularly that of pumpkinseed. These insights will aid managers at TNWR in implementing effective management plans designed to address the specific effects of both species

A Task Oriented Approach For A Patient With Chronic Effects Of Stroke: A Case Report

Background and Purpose: Stroke is the leading cause of serious long-term disability for American adults. Most stroke survivors receive physical therapy (PT), and task-oriented rehabilitation is one novel approach known to benefit stroke survivors. The purpose of this case report is to illustrate the outcomes of a task-oriented approach to PT interventions on a patient \u3e12 months post stroke. The unique aims were to 1) outline possible benefits in function from repetitive task-oriented training techniques and 2) document outcomes of a patient who had received PT services \u3e12 months post stroke. Case Description: The patient was an 82 year-old female who was suffering from late effects of two separate stroke events. She was seen for outpatient PT for one hour, two times weekly for a total of 12 weeks during this episode of care. The following outcome measures were used: Function in Sitting Test (FIST), Tinetti, and a modified Gait Speed Test. Outcomes: Improvements in balance and functional mobility on the Tinetti (4/28 to 16/28) and Function in Sitting Test (43/56 to 56/56) were noted. Improved strength was noted based on manual muscle testing of the quadriceps and hamstrings. This patient was able to achieve independent bed mobility, increase her walking distance, and decrease the level of gait assistance needed (from max to contact guard) with improved quality of gait. No significant changes were noted in gait speed. Modified Ashworth Scale indicated no change in spasticity. Discussion: The findings suggest that a task-oriented approach to physical therapy intervention may have been a feasible method for this individual with chronic effects of stroke. Further research is needed to validate these results for similar patients

Moving Toward Non-transcription Based Discourse Analysis in Stable and Progressive Aphasia

Measurement of communication ability at the discourse level holds promise for predicting how well persons with stable (e.g., stroke-induced), or progressive aphasia navigate everyday communicative interactions. However, barriers to the clinical utilization of discourse measures have persisted. Recent advancements in the standardization of elicitation protocols and the existence of large databases for development of normative references have begun to address some of these barriers. Still, time remains a consistently reported barrier by clinicians. Non-transcription based discourse measurement would reduce the time required for discourse analysis, making clinical utilization a reality. The purpose of this article is to present evidence regarding discourse measures (main concept analysis, core lexicon, and derived efficiency scores) that are well suited to non-transcription based analysis. Combined with previous research, our results suggest that these measures are sensitive to changes following stroke or neurodegenerative disease. Given the evidence, further research specifically assessing the reliability of these measures in clinical implementation is warranted

Sexing the X: How the X Became the “Female Chromosome”

This essay examines how the X became the “female chromosome” and how the association of the X with femaleness influences research questions, models, and descriptive language in human sex chromosome research. I trace how the X is gendered female in scientific and popular discourse; document the contingent technical, material, and ideological factors that led to the feminization of the X during the first decades of sex chromosome research; and track the introduction of the “female chromosome” into human genetics at midcentury. In the second part of the essay, I document the continuing influence of the feminization of the X on genetic research, exemplified by “X chromosome mosaicism” theories of female biology and behavior.History of Scienc