GreekLex 2: a comprehensive lexical database with part-of-speech, syllabic, phonological, and stress information

Databases containing lexical properties on any given orthography are crucial for psycholinguistic research. In the last ten years, a number of lexical databases have been developed for Greek. However, these lack important part-of-speech information. Furthermore, the need for alternative procedures for calculating syllabic measurements and stress information, as well as combination of several metrics to investigate linguistic properties of the Greek language are highlighted. To address these issues, we present a new extensive lexical database of Modern Greek (GreekLex 2) with part-of-speech information for each word and accurate syllabification and orthographic information predictive of stress, as well as several measurements of word similarity and phonetic information. The addition of detailed statistical information about Greek part-of-speech, syllabification, and stress neighbourhood allowed novel analyses of stress distribution within different grammatical categories and syllabic lengths to be carried out. Results showed that the statistical preponderance of stress position on the pre-final syllable that is reported for Greek language is dependent upon grammatical category. Additionally, analyses showed that a proportion higher than 90% of the tokens in the database would be stressed correctly solely by relying on stress neighbourhood information. The database and the scripts for orthographic and phonological syllabification as well as phonetic transcription are available at http://www.psychology.nottingham.ac.uk/greeklex/

The sources and consequences of individual differences in statistical learning for language development

Statistical learning (SL)—sensitivity to statistical regularities in the environment—has been postulated to support language development. While even young infants are capable of using distributional statistics to learn in linguistic and non-linguistic domains, efforts to measure SL at the level of the individual and link it to language proficiency in individual differences designs have been mixed, which has at least in part been attributed to problems with task reliability. In the current study we present the first prospective longitudinal study of the relationship between both non-linguistic SL (measured with visual stimuli) and linguistic SL (measured with auditory stimuli) and language in a group of English-speaking children. One-hundred and twenty-one (N = 121) children in their first two years of formal schooling (Mage = 6;1 years, Range: 5;2 – 7;2) completed tests of visual SL (VSL) and auditory SL (ASL) and several control variables at time 1. Both forms of SL were then measured every 6 months for the next 18 months, and at the final testing session (time 4) their language proficiency was measured using a standardised test. The results showed that the reliability of the SL tasks increased across the course of the study. A series of path analyses showed that both VSL and ASL independently predicted individual differences in language proficiency at time 4. The evidence is consistent with the suggestion that, when measured reliably, an observable relationship between SL and language proficiency exists. Theoretical and methodological issues are discussed

Statistical learning leads to persistent memory: evidence for one-year consolidation

Statistical learning is a robust mechanism of the brain that enables the extraction of environmental patterns, which is crucial in perceptual and cognitive domains. However, the dynamical change of processes underlying long-term statistical memory formation has not been tested in an appropriately controlled design. Here we show that a memory trace acquired by statistical learning is resistant to inference as well as to forgetting after one year. Participants performed a statistical learning task and were retested one year later without further practice. The acquired statistical knowledge was resistant to interference, since after one year, participants showed similar memory performance on the previously practiced statistical structure after being tested with a new statistical structure. These results could be key to understand the stability of long-term statistical knowledge

The role of social identity and self-efficacy in predicting service providers’ use of Stepping Stones Triple P following training

Background: Identifying factors that may contribute to the use of programs following the completion of training by practitioners is of practical and theoretical importance. Aim: This study examined the role of social identity and self-efficacy in contributing to the delivery of an evidence-based parenting program. Methods and Procedures: A sample of 63 multi-disciplinary professionals trained in the Stepping Stones Triple P-Positive Parenting Program, for parents of children with developmental disability, as part of a statewide roll-out were interviewed two years after training. Data on the number of hours of delivery during the 2-year period was analysed along with quantitative data obtained during interviews that assessed professionals’ self-efficacy and social identity as a Stepping Stones professional. Outcomes and Results: Social identity was associated with the use of SSTP in an independent analysis, but the association was no longer significant when other factors were included in a regression model. Self-efficacy predicted the use of SSTP and was found to be a mediator in the relationship between social identity and use of SSTP. Conclusions and Implications: This first investigation into the role of social identity in the implementation of evidence-based parenting programs showed that social identity could play an important role. The role of self-efficacy in predicting program use was further supported in this study and the mediator function of self-efficacy is explored. The practical and theoretical implications of the role of self-efficacy and social identity in the training of professionals are discussed.</p

The role of social identity and self-efficacy in predicting service providers’ use of Stepping Stones Triple P following training

Background: Identifying factors that may contribute to the use of programs following the completion of training by practitioners is of practical and theoretical importance. Aim: This study examined the role of social identity and self-efficacy in contributing to the delivery of an evidence-based parenting program. Methods and Procedures: A sample of 63 multi-disciplinary professionals trained in the Stepping Stones Triple P-Positive Parenting Program, for parents of children with developmental disability, as part of a statewide roll-out were interviewed two years after training. Data on the number of hours of delivery during the 2-year period was analysed along with quantitative data obtained during interviews that assessed professionals’ self-efficacy and social identity as a Stepping Stones professional. Outcomes and Results: Social identity was associated with the use of SSTP in an independent analysis, but the association was no longer significant when other factors were included in a regression model. Self-efficacy predicted the use of SSTP and was found to be a mediator in the relationship between social identity and use of SSTP. Conclusions and Implications: This first investigation into the role of social identity in the implementation of evidence-based parenting programs showed that social identity could play an important role. The role of self-efficacy in predicting program use was further supported in this study and the mediator function of self-efficacy is explored. The practical and theoretical implications of the role of self-efficacy and social identity in the training of professionals are discussed

Bioactive paper platform for colorimetric phenols detection.

Polyphenols, as food antioxidants, are of great interest due to their health benefits as they decrease the risks of cancer and coronary cardiopathy (1). Moreover they influence the quality and organoleptic characteristics of foods (2). Lastly, some neurotransmitters are phenolic compounds. Hence the need to work out a sensitive, portable and inexpensive detection methods to monitor these compounds (3). We developed a disposable paper-based bioassay for the detection of phenolic compounds; the assay was successfully applied for the determination of polyphenols in a real matrix such as wine. The colorimetric quantification of the analyte is based on an enzymatic assay. The tyrosinase enzyme has been immobilized on a filter paper by simple over-spotting with 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone (MBTH), that allows the detection of phenols by forming stable colored adducts with their enzymatic oxidation products. The color intensity of the adduct (developed after 5 min of reaction) was found to increase proportionally with the increase of the phenolic substrate concentrations. Analyte detection can be achieved by eye and quantification can be simply obtained by using a camera phone and an image analysis software. The response, characteristics of the sensor were determined using l-3,4-dihydroxyphenyl-alanine (l-DOPA), an archetype substrate of tyrosinase, as the analyte. This disposable paper-based biosensor relies on a rapid and simple method, without need of sophisticated instrumentation and trained personnel and could be extremely useful in remote locations or developing countries which does not have ready access to laboratory facilities and where simple, sensitive and low cost bioassays are essentials. 1) D. Del Rio, L.G. Costa, M.E. Lean, A. Croizer. Nutr. Metab. Cardiovasc. Dis. 20 (2010) 1-6. 2) I. Ignat, I. Volf, V.I. Popa. Food Chem. 126 (2011) 1821-1835. 3) M. Arciuli, G. Palazzo, A. Gallone, A. Mallardi. Sensors &amp; Actuators: B. Chemical (2013)In press