The Semantics and Pragmatics of Right Dislocation: Odd thing, that.

The sentence "She's a smart one, that Diana" is a so-called right dislocation construction: the noun phrase "that Diana" occurs at the right edge of the sentence and the sentence itself only realizes a pronoun ("she") to refer to Diana. This construction is particularly common among British English speakers. Whereas prior research has focused on the structure and interpretation of the construction, my research explores the hypothesis that speakers use the construction when they expect their interlocutors to agree with them about the propositional content of the utterance (e.g., that Diana is a smart person, in the aforementioned example). In summer 2017 I ran an experiment with 38 native British English speakers, administering a survey in which each participant rated the acceptability of a target sentence in context on a 6-point Likert scale. Target sentences varied minimally between right dislocated and non-dislocated variants, and contexts were either such that the speaker would expect the listener to agree with the propositional content of the utterance, or such that the speaker would expect the listener to disagree. Each target sentence was judged within both contexts. While no significant difference was found between the agree and disagree contexts among the right dislocated target sentences as a whole, the variation in response patterns both between participants and between items reveal potential routes for further exploration of right dislocation constructions' social meaning in the future.Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Research ScholarshipArts & Sciences International Research GrantNo embargoAcademic Major: ChineseAcademic Major: Linguistic

Mortality and pulmonary complications in patients undergoing surgery with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection: an international cohort study

Background: The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on postoperative recovery needs to be understood to inform clinical decision making during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study reports 30-day mortality and pulmonary complication rates in patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection. Methods: This international, multicentre, cohort study at 235 hospitals in 24 countries included all patients undergoing surgery who had SARS-CoV-2 infection confirmed within 7 days before or 30 days after surgery. The primary outcome measure was 30-day postoperative mortality and was assessed in all enrolled patients. The main secondary outcome measure was pulmonary complications, defined as pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, or unexpected postoperative ventilation. Findings: This analysis includes 1128 patients who had surgery between Jan 1 and March 31, 2020, of whom 835 (74·0%) had emergency surgery and 280 (24·8%) had elective surgery. SARS-CoV-2 infection was confirmed preoperatively in 294 (26·1%) patients. 30-day mortality was 23·8% (268 of 1128). Pulmonary complications occurred in 577 (51·2%) of 1128 patients; 30-day mortality in these patients was 38·0% (219 of 577), accounting for 81·7% (219 of 268) of all deaths. In adjusted analyses, 30-day mortality was associated with male sex (odds ratio 1·75 [95% CI 1·28–2·40], p\textless0·0001), age 70 years or older versus younger than 70 years (2·30 [1·65–3·22], p\textless0·0001), American Society of Anesthesiologists grades 3–5 versus grades 1–2 (2·35 [1·57–3·53], p\textless0·0001), malignant versus benign or obstetric diagnosis (1·55 [1·01–2·39], p=0·046), emergency versus elective surgery (1·67 [1·06–2·63], p=0·026), and major versus minor surgery (1·52 [1·01–2·31], p=0·047). Interpretation: Postoperative pulmonary complications occur in half of patients with perioperative SARS-CoV-2 infection and are associated with high mortality. Thresholds for surgery during the COVID-19 pandemic should be higher than during normal practice, particularly in men aged 70 years and older. Consideration should be given for postponing non-urgent procedures and promoting non-operative treatment to delay or avoid the need for surgery. Funding: National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland, Bowel and Cancer Research, Bowel Disease Research Foundation, Association of Upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons, British Association of Surgical Oncology, British Gynaecological Cancer Society, European Society of Coloproctology, NIHR Academy, Sarcoma UK, Vascular Society for Great Britain and Ireland, and Yorkshire Cancer Research

Psychological and Functional Impact of a Small Unruptured Intracranial Aneurysm Diagnosis: A Mixed‐Methods Evaluation of the Patient Journey

Background Following a diagnosis of a small unruptured intracranial aneurysm (sUIA), patients often experience psychological ailments which may be attributable to the neurovascular consultation, referral pathway, or long‐term imaging surveillance. Here, we aim to characterize the early sUIA patient journey and evaluate their psychosocial status. Methods A mixed‐methods analysis of sUIA patients attending a large tertiary neurosciences center was performed. For patients presenting to the neurovascular service in 2020, this included: (i) a thematic analysis of patient perspectives extracted from semistructured telephone interviews, (ii) a quantitative assessment of psychological status using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and (iii) an evaluation of functional independence using a customized activity of daily living questionnaire. The relationship between service or clinical factors, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale subscale scores was statistically tested. Results The sUIA patient cohort (n=105) had a mean age of 56.8 years (SD=15.8, female=69). Thematic analysis of interview responses (n=33) identified 5 recurrent themes underpinning the sUIA patient experience: referral, diagnosis and information sharing, imaging surveillance, psychological impairment and coping strategies, and activities of daily living, all of which contributed to patient concerns. A total of 53.6% of patients achieved a Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score signifying at least mild anxiety and/or depression. Lifestyle changes most frequently affected after diagnosis included avoidance of straining‐intensive exercise, change in patterns of substance use, and work‐related performance. Multivariate analysis revealed no significant service or clinical predictors for anxiety or depression. Conclusion For some patients, an sUIA diagnosis appears to be associated, at least qualitatively, with a psychological burden. This is likely mediated through stressors related to the referral, diagnosis, neurosurgical consultation, and image surveillance. In the absence of evidence‐based guidelines regarding these aspects of the early patient journey, we offer suggestions aimed at improving both the neurovascular service and sUIA patient experience