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Longer Latency (longer + latency)
Selected AbstractsWhen Grammar Instruction Undermines Cohesion in L2 Spanish Classroom DiscourseMODERN LANGUAGE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2004Paul D. Toth This article compares ordinary conversational topics and targeted second language (L2) forms for their effectiveness in building and maintaining classroom discourse cohesion. In this study, 16 learners participated in 2 lessons, 1 with teacher turns determined by a grammatical object of instruction, and the other with turns determined by conversation topics. Based on research by Sperber and Wilson (1995) and Vuchinich (1977), extended latency gaps and remedy sequences in learner turns were taken as evidence of poor cohesion. Both lessons were videotaped, transcribed, and coded. Of the 16 learners, 5 volunteers viewed the videotapes and offered written explanations for their extended latencies. Longer latencies and more frequent remedy sequences occurred during the grammatically-determined discourse, with volunteers likewise indicating greater difficulty understanding the instructor, than during the conversational lesson. It is argued that for grammar instruction to work effectively, a focus on form must be transparent as the instructional objective, and targeted L2 forms must themselves be properly treated as discourse topics. [source] Tonotopic representation of missing fundamental complex sounds in the human auditory cortexEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE, Issue 2 2003Takako Fujioka Abstract The N1m component of the auditory evoked magnetic field in response to tones and complex sounds was examined in order to clarify whether the tonotopic representation in the human secondary auditory cortex is based on perceived pitch or the physical frequency spectrum of the sound. The investigated stimulus parameters were the fundamental frequencies (F0 = 250, 500 and 1000 Hz), the spectral composition of the higher harmonics of the missing fundamental sounds (2nd to 5th, 6th to 9th and 10th to 13th harmonic) and the frequencies of pure tones corresponding to F0 and to the lowest component of each complex sound. Tonotopic gradients showed that high frequencies were more medially located than low frequencies for the pure tones and for the centre frequency of the complex tones. Furthermore, in the superior,inferior direction, the tonotopic gradients were different between pure tones and complex sounds. The results were interpreted as reflecting different processing in the auditory cortex for pure tones and complex sounds. This hypothesis was supported by the result of evoked responses to complex sounds having longer latencies. A more pronounced tonotopic representation in the right hemisphere gave evidence for right hemispheric dominance in spectral processing. [source] Causal uncertainty as a chronically accessible constructEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY, Issue 5 2009John A. Edwards Causal uncertainty refers to feelings that one may not understand the causes of events. A number of studies have shown that causal uncertainty has significant effects on people's processing of information and on important life outcomes. Weary and Edwards have postulated that causal uncertainty is, in part, a cognitive construct that can vary in its accessibility. This assumption has allowed for a variety of predictions to be made about the causes and consequences of causal uncertainty. However, this accessibility assumption has never been directly tested. To do this, in Study 1 an emotional Stroop procedure was used. Higher causal uncertainty was associated with longer latencies to name the color in which causal uncertainty-related words were written compared to uncertainty-irrelevant words. In Study 2, both manipulated and chronic causal uncertainty led to faster times to respond to causal uncertainty-related stimuli in an attitude accessibility task. Both studies are consistent with the theoretically predicted chronic accessibility of causal uncertainty beliefs. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Effects of sex chromosome aneuploidy on male sexual behaviorGENES, BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR, Issue 6 2008J. H. Park Incidence of sex chromosome aneuploidy in men is as high as 1:500. The predominant conditions are an additional Y chromosome (47,XYY) or an additional X chromosome (47,XXY). Behavioral studies using animal models of these conditions are rare. To assess the role of sex chromosome aneuploidy on sexual behavior, we used mice with a spontaneous mutation on the Y chromosome in which the testis-determining gene Sry is deleted (referred to as Y,) and insertion of a Sry transgene on an autosome. Dams were aneuploid (XXY,) and the sires had an inserted Sry transgene (XYSry). Litters contained six male genotypes, XY, XYY,, XXSry, XXY,Sry, XYSry and XYY,Sry. In order to eliminate possible differences in levels of testosterone, all of the subjects were castrated and received testosterone implants prior to tests for male sex behavior. Mice with an additional copy of the Y, chromosome (XYY,) had shorter latencies to intromit and achieve ejaculations than XY males. In a comparison of the four genotypes bearing the Sry transgene, males with two copies of the X chromosome (XXSry and XXY,Sry) had longer latencies to mount and thrust than males with only one copy of the X chromosome (XYSry and XYY,Sry) and decreased frequencies of mounts and intromissions as compared with XYSry males. The results implicate novel roles for sex chromosome genes in sexual behaviors. [source] Minimal aberrant behavioral phenotypes of neuroligin-3 R451C knockin miceAUTISM RESEARCH, Issue 3 2008Kathryn K. Chadman Abstract Neuroligin-3 is a member of the class of cell adhesion proteins that mediate synapse development and have been implicated in autism. Mice with the human R451C mutation (NL3), identical to the point mutation found in two brothers with autism spectrum disorders, were generated and phenotyped in multiple behavioral assays with face validity to the diagnostic symptoms of autism. No differences between NL3 and their wildtype (WT) littermate controls were detected on measures of juvenile reciprocal social interaction, adult social approach, cognitive abilities, and resistance to change in a spatial habit, findings which were replicated in several cohorts of males and females. Physical and procedural abilities were similar across genotypes on measures of general health, sensory abilities, sensorimotor gating, motor functions, and anxiety-related traits. Minor developmental differences were detected between NL3 and WT, including slightly different rates of somatic growth, slower righting reflexes at postnatal days 2,6, faster homing reflexes in females, and less vocalizations on postnatal day 8 in males. Significant differences in NL3 adults included somewhat longer latencies to fall from the rotarod, less vertical activity in the open field, and less acoustic startle to high decibel tones. The humanized R451C mutation in mice did not result in apparent autism-like phenotypes, but produced detectable functional consequences that may be interpreted in terms of physical development and/or reduced sensitivity to stimuli. [source] Developmental Changes in Endogenous Control of Attention: The Role of Target Familiarity on Infants' Distraction LatencyCHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 6 2002Lisa M. Oakes This study evaluated the interactive effects of endogenous and exogenous influences on infants' attention allocation by assessing the role of target familiarity on distraction latency during object exploration. In Experiment 1 (N= 54), infants' distraction latencies as they investigated both familiar toys (ones they previously had seen in a familiarization procedure) and novel toys (ones they had not seen in the familiarization procedure) were assessed longitudinally at 6.5 and 9 months of age. In Experiment 2 (N= 32), infants' distraction latencies were assessed at either 6.5 or 10 months as they investigated either familiar or novel targets. In both experiments, older infants, but not younger infants, exhibited longer latencies as they investigated novel toys as compared with their latencies as they investigated familiar toys. These results are discussed in terms of developmental changes in the interactive effects of endogenous and exogenous factors controlling attention allocation. [source] Exploratory behavior in mice selectively bred for developmental differences in aggressive behaviorDEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2008Kathryn E. Hood Abstract The development and expression of exploratory behavior was assessed in the Cairns lines of Institute for Cancer Research (ICR) mice that were selectively bred for differences in aggressive behavior, with a high-aggressive 900 line, low-aggressive 100 line, and control 500 line. Four paradigms were employed. Developmental changes were evident in the complex novel arena, with older males faster to contact a novel object, and ambulating more than young males. Within the control 500 line, older males showed longer latency to emerge from the home cage, and shorter latency to contact novel objects. In the 900 line, younger males showed this same pattern. R. B. Cairns proposed that line differences in aggressive behavior arise through alterations in developmental timing [Cairns et al. [1983] Life-span developmental psychology (Vol. 5). New York: Academic Press; Gariépy et al. [2001] Animal Behaviour 61: 933,947]. The early appearance of mature patterns of exploratory behavior in 900 line males supports this interpretation. The 900 line males also appear to be behaviorally inhibited in novel settings such as the light,dark box and the neohypophagia paradigm, compared to the 500 and 100 lines (Experiments 1, 2, and 4). Moreover, in the most complex apparatus, the novel arena, 900 line males were slowest to exit the home cage, and fastest to contact a novel object. The apparent contrast in these parameters of exploratory behavior is discussed in relation to T. C. Schneirla's [1965 Advances in the study of behavior (Vol. 1). New York: PN Academic] approach,withdrawal theory. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 50: 32,47, 2008. [source] Seizures in the Developing Brain Cause Adverse Long-term Effects on Spatial Learning and AnxietyEPILEPSIA, Issue 12 2004Umit Sayin Summary:,Purpose: Seizures in the developing brain cause less macroscopic structural damage than do seizures in adulthood, but accumulating evidence shows that seizures early in life can be associated with persistent behavioral and cognitive impairments. We previously showed that long-term spatial memory in the eight-arm radial-arm maze was impaired in rats that experienced a single episode of kainic acid (KA)-induced status epilepticus during early development (postnatal days (P) 1,14). Here we extend those findings by using a set of behavioral paradigms that are sensitive to additional aspects of learning and behavior. Methods: On P1, P7, P14, or P24, rats underwent status epilepticus induced by intraperitoneal injections of age-specific doses of KA. In adulthood (P90,P100), the behavioral performance of these rats was compared with that of control rats that did not receive KA. A modified version of the radial-arm maze was used to assess short-term spatial memory; the Morris water maze was used to evaluate long-term spatial memory and retrieval; and the elevated plus maze was used to determine anxiety. Results: Compared with controls, rats with KA seizures at each tested age had impaired short-term spatial memory in the radial-arm maze (longer latency to criterion and more reference errors), deficient long-term spatial learning and retrieval in the water maze (longer escape latencies and memory for platform location), and a greater degree of anxiety in the elevated plus maze (greater time spent in open arms). Conclusions: These findings provide additional support for the concept that seizures early in life may be followed by life-long impairment of certain cognitive and behavioral functions. These results may have clinical implications, favoring early and aggressive control of seizures during development. [source] Childhood Personality Predicts Long-Term Trajectories of Shyness and Aggressiveness in the Context of Demographic Transitions in Emerging AdulthoodJOURNAL OF PERSONALITY, Issue 1 2008Jaap J. A. Dennissen ABSTRACT In a 19-year longitudinal study, childhood personality characteristics (assessed by teachers at ages 4 to 6) were significantly related to both initial levels and changes in parental judgments of shyness and aggressiveness. Long-term stability was demonstrated by the fact that overcontrollers had consistently higher scores in shyness and undercontrollers in aggressiveness. However, undercontrollers' shyness and overcontrollers' aggressiveness changed over time from a low to a high level. Also, both types assumed adult social roles, such as leaving the parental home, establishing a first romantic relationship, and getting a part-time job, at a later time than the resilient participants. A mediation analysis indicated that under- and overcontrollers' increasing aggressiveness between age 17 and 23 was due to their longer latency of getting a part-time job. Together, results demonstrate the importance of considering person-environment transactions in explaining both change and stability in personality between childhood and adulthood. [source] No increased occurrence of ischemic heart disease prior to the onset of rheumatoid arthritis: Results from two Swedish population-based rheumatoid arthritis cohortsARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 10 2009Marie E. Holmqvist Objective To investigate the relative importance of shared etiologies for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ischemic heart disease (IHD) in terms of the well-known increased risk of IHD in patients with RA, by assessing the occurrence of IHD up until the time of the onset of the first symptoms of RA. Methods We assessed the prevalence of a history of IHD, myocardial infarction (MI), and angina pectoris before the onset of RA symptoms in 2 large population-based case,control studies. Patients with newly diagnosed RA according to the criteria of the American College of Rheumatology were included as cases. We used data from the Swedish Early Arthritis Register study and the Swedish Epidemiologic Investigation of Rheumatoid Arthritis case,control study and from general population controls. Information on IHD, MI, and angina pectoris was obtained from the nationwide Hospital Discharge Register and from self reports. We calculated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) to compare the prevalence of a history of IHD/MI/angina pectoris among patients with RA with that among population controls. Results We could not detect any increased occurrence of IHD, MI, or angina pectoris before the onset of symptoms of RA, regardless of whether data on IHD were obtained from the Hospital Discharge Register or were self reported. As detected in the Hospital Discharge Register, the OR for IHD overall was 1.0 (95% CI 0.9,1.1), the OR for MI was 1.0 (95% CI 0.9,1.1), and the OR for angina pectoris was 1.0 (95% CI 0.9,1.2). Conclusion Shared risk factors or susceptibilities for RA and IHD are likely to contribute less than RA-related factors to the increased occurrence of IHD in patients with manifest RA. Nonetheless, the existence of shared factors associated with longer latency until the occurrence of IHD cannot be excluded. [source] The study of chromatic and achromatic VEP in the first year of lifeACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2009M TEKAVCIC POMPE Purpose To study chromatic and achromatic VEP responses in the first year of life. Methods In 30 babies aged 2 to 12 months VEP to chromatic and achromatic stimuli were binocularly recorded. Chromatic VEP were recorded to isoluminant red-green and blue-yellow stimulus. The stimulus was a circle composed of horizontal sinusoidal gratings with 90 % chromatic contrast. Two stimulus sizes (7 deg and 21 deg) were used. The stimulus was presented in an onset-offset mode (on , 300ms, off , 700 ms). Achromatic VEP were recorded to black and white checkerboard (50, square size), which was presented in pattern reversal (reversal VEP) and onset-offset (onset VEP) mode. VEP were recorded from Oz (mid occipital) position and the reference was at Fz. Results Chromatic VEP responses were present in all babies, except youngest two (2 months old). The positive wave (P) amplitude to red-green and blue-yellow stimulus increased with age when using both stimulus sizes. Achromatic VEP responses were present in all babies. P100 wave (pattern reversal stimulation) showed longer latency in youngest babies (p=0.045), whereas its amplitude did not change throughout the first year of life. C1 wave (onset-offset stimulation) showed longer latency in youngest babies (p=0.0039), whereas its amplitude decreased with increasing age (p=0.0087). Conclusion Chromatic VEP responses can be recorded in babies after the age of 3 months and show marked maturational changes throughout the first year of life. [source] Outcome indicators for vitrectomy in Terson syndromeACTA OPHTHALMOLOGICA, Issue 2 2009Justus G. Garweg Abstract. Purpose:, There is no general agreement on the best indication and timing of vitrectomy in patients suffering from Terson syndrome. Therefore, we reviewed our cases in order to assess factors interfering with the functional outcome and complication rates after vitrectomy. Methods:, In this retrospective consecutive case series, the records from all patients undergoing vitrectomy for Terson syndrome between 1975 and 2005 were evaluated. Results:, Thirty-seven patients (45 eyes) were identified, 36 of whom (44 corresponding eyes) were eligible. The best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) at first and last presentation was 0.07 ± 0.12 and 0.72 ± 0.31, respectively. Thirty-five eyes (79.5%) achieved a postoperative BCVA of , 0.5; 26 (59.1%) eyes achieved a postoperative BCVA of , 0.8. Patients operated on within 90 days of vitreous haemorrhage achieved a better final BCVA than those with a longer latency (BCVA of 0.87 ± 0.27 compared to 0.66 ± 0.31; P = 0.03). Patients younger than 45 years of age achieved a better final BCVA than older patients (0.85 ± 0.24 compared to 0.60 ± 0.33; P = 0.006). Retinal detachment developed in four patients between 6 and 27 months after surgery. Seven patients (16%) required epiretinal membrane peeling and seven cataract surgery. Conclusion:, Ninety-eight per cent of our patients experienced a rapid and persisting visual recovery after removal of a vitreous haemorrhage caused by Terson syndrome. A shorter time between occurrence of vitreous haemorrhage and surgery as well as a younger patient age are predictive of a better outcome. Generally, the surgical risk is low, but complications (namely retinal detachment) may occur late after surgery. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||