A study of generic noun phrases in child Cantonese

This study investigated how Cantonese-speaking children use and comprehend generic noun phrases. Previous studies revealed that generic noun phrases were found in the speech of English-speaking children at age two. In terms of understanding of the meaning of generic noun phrases, experimental results also revealed that children speaking different languages showed sensitivity to the meaning of a generic noun phrase as different from quantified noun phrases which involved “all” and “some”. However, the development of generic noun phrases was not identical in children speaking different languages. Cantonese offers an interesting case for examining the development of generic noun phrases as Cantonese and Mandarin use the same form (i.e., bare noun phrases) as generic noun phrases yet Cantonese also employs a unique form of using a classifier phrase in the form of di1-NPs as a generic noun phrase which is not found in Mandarin. This dissertation reported findings of the production and comprehension of generic noun phrases by Cantonese-speaking children by using both longitudinal data and experimental data. Longitudinal data from three children between two and three years of age were examined. Adult speech data were also analyzed in order to obtain a baseline for measuring the children’s use of generic noun phrases. An experimental study was conducted to test Cantonese-speaking children’s understanding of the intermediate meaning of generic noun phrases. The experimental study included 24 Cantonese-speaking adults and 72 Cantonese-speaking children in three age groups (three-, four-, and five-year-olds). The task used was a series of yes/no questions which involved three property types (broad-scope, narrow-scope, irrelevant) and four linguistic form conditions (“all”, “some”, bare-NP generic, di1-NP generic). The responses to the narrow-scope items highlight the distinction between generic noun phrases and quantified noun phrases in Cantonese-speaking children as the responses vary as a function of the linguistic form condition. Results from the longitudinal study showed that: (1) Cantonese-speaking children at age two already produced generic noun phrases in their spontaneous speech; (2) Almost all of the generic noun phrases produced by Cantonese-speaking children were bare noun phrases. The use of di1-NP as generic noun phrases was highly restrained; (3) The domain-specificity effect was not apparent in the noun phrases used by Cantonese-speaking children. Results from the experimental study showed that: (1) Cantonese-speaking children treated the two forms of generic noun phrases (i.e., bare NPs and di1-NP as similar in meaning; (2) Cantonese-speaking children showed early distinctions between the meaning of generics and the meaning of “all”; (3) However, Cantonese-speaking at age five have not yet achieved adults proficiency in differentiating the meaning of generics as intermediate between the meaning of “all” and the meaning of “some”. The results were discussed with reference to the proposal that generic meanings are the default interpretations for children. Generics are learned by noticing an absence of cues specifying particular reference.published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesDoctoralDoctor of Philosoph

The acquisition of Cantonese classifiers

published_or_final_versionSpeech and Hearing SciencesMasterMaster of Philosoph

Child Health-Related Quality of Life and Household Food Security

Objective To examine the association of household food insecurity with child self- or proxy-reported health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Design Cross-sectional telephone survey from January 1, 2000, through June 30, 2000. Participants Three hundred ninety-nine children who live in 36 counties of the Delta region of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Main Outcome Measures Household food insecurity status was measured using the US Household Food Security Scale. Child HRQOL was measured by the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory, QL version 4.0. Analysis Summary statistics, linear and logistic regressions, incorporating survey weights, performed with SUDAAN version 8. Results Household food insecurity was significantly associated with total child HRQOL (P\u3c.05) and physical function (P\u3c.05), adjusted for child age, ethnicity, gender, and family income. Children aged 3 through 8 years in food insecure households were reported by parents to have lower physical function (P = .001), while children aged 12 through 17 years reported lower psychosocial function (P = .007). Black males in food insecure households reported lower physical function (P\u3c.05) and lower total HRQOL (P\u3c.05). Conclusions Children who live in food insecure households have poorer HRQOL. The effect on physical or psychosocial function may differ by age, ethnicity, and gender. Food security should be considered an important risk factor for child health

Household Food Insecurity and Obesity, Chronic Disease, and Chronic Disease Risk Factors

Context. Studies examining the association between food insecurity and obesity in adults have produced conflicting results, and information is limited on the relationship between food insecurity and adult chronic health conditions, particularly in a high-risk population. Objective. To examine the association between household food insecurity and self-reported weight status and chronic disease in the Lower Mississippi Delta. Design. A two-stage stratified cluster sample representative of the population in 36 counties in the Lower Delta. Data were collected in a cross-sectional telephone survey using list assisted random digit dialing telephone methodology. Setting and Participants. A randomly selected sample of 1,457 adults from a free-living population. Main Outcome Measures. US Food Security Survey Module, self-reported height and weight status (obesity = body mass index \u3e 30 kg/m2), and self-reported hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and a marker for metabolic syndrome. Results. In food-insecure adults, 42.3% were obese, a significantly higher rate than food secure adults (33.2%). After controlling for demographic variables, food insecurity was not independently associated with obesity. Income and the interaction between race and gender were significant predictors of obesity. Food insecure adults were significantly more likely to report hypertension (45.1% vs. 29.5%) diabetes (15.0% vs. 9.3%), heart disease (13.5% vs. 6.8%) and metabolic syndrome (10.1% vs. 4.4%). After controlling for demographic variables, food insecurity was associated with high cholesterol (Odds Ratio [OR] 1.65; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], 1.0 to 2.7), heart disease (OR 2.7; 95% CI, 1.5 to 4.8), and metabolic syndrome (OR 2.8; 95% CI, 1.4 to 5.5). Conclusions. The relationship between food insecurity and obesity in a high-risk population, may be due to income and demographic variables. Individuals in a rural high-risk population with high cholesterol, heart disease, and metabolic syndrome have a high likelihood of being food-insecure. Nutritional interventions targeting high-risk populations should address food insecurity

Mortality Trends After Transfer From Peritoneal Dialysis to Hemodialysis

Introduction: Transition to hemodialysis (HD) is a common outcome in peritoneal dialysis (PD), but the associated mortality risk is poorly understood. This study sought to identify rates of and risk factors for mortality after transitioning from PD to HD. Methods: Patients with incident PD (between 2000 and 2014) who transferred to HD for ≥1 day were identified, using data from Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplantation registry (ANZDATA), Canadian Organ Replacement Register (CORR), Europe Renal Association (ERA) Registry, and the United States Renal Dialysis System (USRDS). Crude mortality rates were calculated for the first 180 days after transfer. Separate multivariable Cox models were built for early (180 days) periods after transfer. Results: Overall, 6683, 5847, 21,574, and 80,459 patients were included from ANZDATA, CORR, ERA Registry, and USRDS, respectively. In all registries, crude mortality rate was highest during the first 30 days after a transfer to HD declining thereafter to nadir at 4 to 6 months. Crude mortality rates were lower for patients transferring in the most recent years (than earlier). Older age, PD initiation in earlier cohorts, and longer PD vintage were associated with increased risk of death, with the strongest associations during the first 90 days after transfer and attenuating thereafter. Mortality risk was lower for men than women <90 days after transfer, but higher after 180 days. Conclusion: In this multinational study, mortality was highest in the first month after a transfer from PD to HD and risk factors varied by time period after transfer. This study highlights the vulnerability of patients at the time of modality transfer and the need to improve transitions