What a thousand children tell us about grammatical complexity and working memory: A cross-sectional analysis on the comprehension of clitics and passives in Italian

Data from 996 Italian-speaking children were collected and analyzed to assess whether a movement-based notion of grammatical complexity is adequate to capture the developmental trend of clitics and passives in Italian. A second goal of the study was to address the relationship between working memory and syntactic development, exploring the hypothesis that higher digit span values predict better comprehension of complex matrix sentences. The results confirm the validity of a ranking of grammatical structures based on constituent movement, with both clitics and passives developing in parallel and later than canonical SVO sentences. Working memory also shows an effect on sentence comprehension in general, but standard measures (digit span forward/backward) do not show a selective advantage in handling complex constructions such as clitics and passives

Higher education and unemployment in Europe : an analysis of the academic subject and national effects

This paper examines the impact of an academic degree and field of study on short and long-term unemployment across Europe (EU15). Labour Force Survey (LFS) data on over half a million individuals are utilised for that purpose. The harmonized LFS classification of level of education and field of study overcomes past problems of comparability across Europe. The study analyses (i) the effect of an academic degree at a European level, (ii) the specific effect of 14 academic subjects and (iii) country specific effects. The results indicate that an academic degree is more effective on reducing the likelihood of short-term than long-term unemployment. This general pattern even though it is observed for most of the academic subjects its levels show significant variation across disciplines and countries

Redox Balance in Van Cats and It’s Association with Age, Gender and Eye Color

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the oxidative stress index and redox balance in healthy Van cats and to evaluate it’s association with gender, age and eye color. Methods: 80 healthy Van cats from different eye color, gender and age were used in the study. All cats were grouped according to their age (A) as <12 months (A1, n=30), ≥1 and <3 years (A2, n= 22), ≥3 and <5 years (A3, n=12) ve ≥5 years (A4, n= 16); eye color (E) from left to right as blue-blue (E1, n=31), blue-amber (E2, n= 19), amber-blue (E3, n= 12), amber-amber (E4, n= 19) respectively and gender (G) as female (G1, n=43) and male (G2, n=37). Blood serum ROM (D-Roms test, Diacron; Grosseto, Italy) and PAO (Diacron, Grosseto, Italy) were analyzed and OSI was measured in all groups. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between age, gender and eye color regarding ROM, PAO and OSI in healthy Van cats. Mean ROM (H2O2/dL), PAO (HClO/ml) and OSI CarrU/(µmol HClO/ml)) were 1.79, 434.8 and 0.05, respectively ( P>0.05). Conclusions: Since oxidative stress plays a critical role as a biomarker of various diseases, determination of redox balance may provide a useful tool in healthy Van cats. It was observed that ROM, PAO and OSI were not affected by age, gender and eye color in healthy Van cats. Breed differences among cat population may lead to dramatic changes in redox balance

Native immunity and oxidative traits of growing rabbits

[EN] The evaluation of animal welfare through innate immunity (Serum Bactericidal Activity - SBA, Hemolytic Complement Assay - HCA, lysozyme) and the antioxidant status of the body (Reactive Oxygen Substances - ROS and Antioxidant Power of plasma, AP) offers a reliable prognostic and diagnostic tool. The aim of the present study was to investigate trends and correlations between some traits of innate immunity and the oxidative status of fattening rabbits at different ages. Blood samples from 120 New Zealand White fattening rabbits at 45, 55, 65, and 75 d of age were collected and analyzed. The results showed that SBA did not have a normal distribution because of numerous 0 values. Data distribution was normal when only SBA > 0 values were considered. Lysozyme (mean value 27.19 microg/mL) and HCA (mean value 50.84 CH50% ) had stable trends at different ages and showed a tendency that was comparable to that obtained in other animal species. On the contrary, SBA (mean value 42.15%) showed an unexpected positive correlation with lysozyme (P<0.001) and a negative correlation with HCA (P<0.001). Oxygen free-radicals are involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases and oxidative stress alters immune competence. In this experiment, ROS and AP showed mean values of 0.60 mmol H2 O2 and 421.67 micromol HClO, respectively. In this context positive correlation coefficients between oxidative status traits and immune traits (P<0.001) were found, although at a very low level; and surprisingly, only ROS and SBA did not show any significant correlation. In this study it emerged that, even in the absence of evident pathologies, the immune and oxidative traits of fattening rabbits could be affected by environmental stress (weaning, cage, neighbors)Funded by Ricerca Corrente 2006 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale dell’Umbria e MarcheMoscati, L.; Dal Bosco, A.; Battistacci, L.; Cardinali, R.; Mugnai, C.; Castellini, C. (2008). Native immunity and oxidative traits of growing rabbits. World Rabbit Science. 16(4). doi:10.4995/wrs.2008.616SWORD16

Native immunity and oxidative traits of growing rabbits

The evaluation of animal welfare through innate immunity (Serum Bactericidal Activity – SBA, Hemolytic  Complement Assay – HCA, lysozyme) and the antioxidant status of the body (Reactive Oxygen Substances – ROS  and Antioxidant Power of plasma, AP) offers a reliable prognostic and diagnostic tool. The aim of the present study  was to investigate trends and correlations between some traits of innate immunity and the oxidative status of fattening  rabbits at different ages. Blood samples from 120 New Zealand White fattening rabbits at 45, 55, 65, and 75 d of age  were collected and analyzed. The results showed that SBA did not have a normal distribution because of numerous 0  values. Data distribution was normal when only SBA &gt; 0 values were considered. Lysozyme (mean value 27.19 μg/mL)  and HCA (mean value 50.84 CH50% ) had stable trends at different ages and showed a tendency that was comparable  to that obtained in other animal species. On the contrary, SBA (mean value 42.15%) showed an unexpected positive  correlation with lysozyme (P&lt;0.001) and a negative correlation with HCA (P&lt;0.001). Oxygen free-radicals are involved  in the pathogenesis of several diseases and oxidative stress alters immune competence. In this experiment, ROS and  AP showed mean values of 0.60 mmol H2 O2  and 421.67 μmol HClO, respectively. In this context positive correlation  coefficients between oxidative status traits and immune traits (P&lt;0.001) were found, although at a very low level; and  surprisingly, only ROS and SBA did not show any significant correlation. In this study it emerged that, even in the  absence of evident pathologies, the immune and oxidative traits of fattening rabbits could be affected by environmental  stress (weaning, cage, neighbors) The evaluation of animal welfare through innate immunity (Serum Bactericidal Activity &ndash; SBA, Hemolytic &nbsp;Complement Assay &ndash; HCA, lysozyme) and the antioxidant status of the body (Reactive Oxygen Substances &ndash; ROS &nbsp;and Antioxidant Power of plasma, AP) offers a reliable prognostic and diagnostic tool. The aim of the present study &nbsp;was to investigate trends and correlations between some traits of innate immunity and the oxidative status of fattening &nbsp;rabbits at different ages. Blood samples from 120 New Zealand White fattening rabbits at 45, 55, 65, and 75 d of age &nbsp;were collected and analyzed. The results showed that SBA did not have a normal distribution because of numerous 0 &nbsp;values. Data distribution was normal when only SBA &gt; 0 values were considered. Lysozyme (mean value 27.19 &mu;g/mL) &nbsp;and HCA (mean value 50.84 CH50% ) had stable trends at different ages and showed a tendency that was comparable &nbsp;to that obtained in other animal species. On the contrary, SBA (mean value 42.15%) showed an unexpected positive &nbsp;correlation with lysozyme (P&lt;0.001) and a negative correlation with HCA (P&lt;0.001). Oxygen free-radicals are involved &nbsp;in the pathogenesis of several diseases and oxidative stress alters immune competence. In this experiment, ROS and &nbsp;AP showed mean values of 0.60 mmol H2 O2 &nbsp;and 421.67 &mu;mol HClO, respectively. In this context positive correlation &nbsp;coefficients between oxidative status traits and immune traits (P&lt;0.001) were found, although at a very low level; and &nbsp;surprisingly, only ROS and SBA did not show any significant correlation. In this study it emerged that, even in the &nbsp;absence of evident pathologies, the immune and oxidative traits of fattening rabbits could be affected by environmental &nbsp;stress (weaning, cage, neighbors)&nbsp

Polygenic risk for severe psychopathology among Europeans is associated with major depressive disorder in Han Chinese women.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have demonstrated that several major psychiatric disorders are influenced by shared genetic factors. This shared liability may influence clinical features of a given disorder (e.g. severity, age at onset). However, findings have largely been limited to European samples; little is known about the consistency of shared genetic liability across ethnicities. METHOD: The relationship between polygenic risk for several major psychiatric diagnoses and major depressive disorder (MDD) was examined in a sample of unrelated Han Chinese women. Polygenic risk scores (PRSs) were generated using European discovery samples and tested in the China, Oxford, and VCU Experimental Research on Genetic Epidemiology [CONVERGE (maximum N = 10 502)], a sample ascertained for recurrent MDD. Genetic correlations between discovery phenotypes and MDD were also assessed. In addition, within-case characteristics were examined. RESULTS: European-based polygenic risk for several major psychiatric disorder phenotypes was significantly associated with the MDD case status in CONVERGE. Risk for clinically significant indicators (neuroticism and subjective well-being) was also associated with case-control status. The variance accounted for by PRS for both psychopathology and for well-being was similar to estimates reported for within-ethnicity comparisons in European samples. However, European-based PRS were largely unassociated with CONVERGE family history, clinical characteristics, or comorbidity. CONCLUSIONS: The shared genetic liability across severe forms of psychopathology is largely consistent across European and Han Chinese ethnicities, with little attenuation of genetic signal relative to within-ethnicity analyses. The overall absence of associations between PRS for other disorders and within-MDD variation suggests that clinical characteristics of MDD may arise due to contributions from ethnicity-specific factors and/or pathoplasticity

Influence of different rearing systems on natural immune parameters in broiler turkeys

n/

Scholarly Tracks in Emergency Medicine

Over the past decade, some residency programs in emergency medicine (EM) have implemented scholarly tracks into their curricula. The goal of the scholarly track is to identify a niche in which each trainee focuses his or her scholarly work during residency. The object of this paper is to discuss the current use, structure, and success of resident scholarly tracks. A working group of residency program leaders who had implemented scholarly tracks into their residency programs collated their approaches, implementation, and early outcomes through a survey disseminated through the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) list-serve. At the 2009 CORD Academic Assembly, a session was held and attended by approximately 80 CORD members where the results were disseminated and discussed. The group examined the literature, discussed the successes and challenges faced during implementation and maintenance of the tracks, and developed a list of recommendations for successful incorporation of the scholarly track structure into a residency program. Our information comes from the experience at eight training programs (five 3-year and three 4-year programs), ranging from 8 to 14 residents per year. Two programs have been working with academic tracks for 8 years. Recommendations included creating clear goals and objectives for each track, matching track topics with faculty expertise, protecting time for both faculty and residents, and providing adequate mentorship for the residents. In summary, scholarly tracks encourage the trainee to develop an academic or clinical niche within EM during residency training. The benefits include increased overall resident satisfaction, increased success at obtaining faculty and fellowship positions after residency, and increased production of scholarly work. We believe that this model will also encourage increased numbers of trainees to choose careers in academic medicine.ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:S87–S94 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency MedicinePeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/79229/1/j.1553-2712.2010.00890.x.pd