Toward a cross-linguistic comparison of lexical quanta in speech and writing

2002 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sven Strömqvist ◽  
Victoria Johansson ◽  
Sarah Kriz ◽  
Hrafnhildur Ragnarsdóttir ◽  
Ravid Aisenman ◽  
...  

The present study presents contrastive analyses of task-oriented spoken and written discourse in terms of lexical diversity, lexical density, and word length. In an age-matched within-language comparison (Swedish), written discourse consistently scored higher on these measures. It is suggested that the same type of differences will hold for any language, because of the difference between speech and writing in processing constraints. The absolute scores, however, can vary substantially for reasons of language typology. An extended, cross-linguistic analysis (English, Hebrew, Icelandic, Swedish), focusing on word length, was made to substantiate that claim. Further, cross-age-group comparisons of lexical quanta indicated a dynamic interaction between speech and writing in development. Spoken discourse eventually comes to “learn” from the development of writing.

2020 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 14-30
Author(s):  
Gordana Hržica ◽  
Sara Košutar ◽  
Mateja Kramarić

Developmental language disorder (DLD) is one of the most common language disorders in preschool and school age, and it also persists later in life. Children with DLD show a range of expressive and/or receptive difficulties in language, including vocabulary acquisition. The goal of this research was to explore the differences between persons with developmental language disorder and persons with typical language development (TLD) in lexical diversity. Earlier research focused on spoken discourse of younger speakers. In the present research, written discourse of speakers covering a broad age range was explored. Twenty participants with DLD and 19 with TLD were selected from the Croatian Corpus of Non-professional Written Language (Kuvač Kraljević, Hržica and Kologranić Belić, in press). They produced narrative language samples based on the Expression, Reception and Recall of Narrative Instrument (ERRNI; Bishop, 2004). To measure lexical diversity, four measures were calculated: the number of different words (NDW) and type-token ratio (TTR) on a restricted number of words, the moving average type-token ration (MATTR) and lexical diversity D on full-length samples. The independent samples t-test was used to compare the two groups. Participants with DLD had significantly lower results on all four measures. This leads to the conclusion that all four measures can differentiate groups of participants with different language status. Persons with DLD showed difficulties in using vocabulary when producing written narratives, which is a demanding language production task.


Author(s):  
Daniel Stark ◽  
Stefania Di Gangi ◽  
Caio Victor Sousa ◽  
Pantelis Nikolaidis ◽  
Beat Knechtle

Though there are exhaustive data about participation, performance trends, and sex differences in performance in different running disciplines and races, no study has analyzed these trends in stair climbing and tower running. The aim of the present study was therefore to investigate these trends in tower running. The data, consisting of 28,203 observations from 24,007 climbers between 2014 and 2019, were analyzed. The effects of sex and age, together with the tower characteristics (i.e., stairs and floors), were examined through a multivariable statistical model with random effects on intercept, at climber’s level, accounting for repeated measurements. Men were faster than women in each age group (p < 0.001 for ages ≤69 years, p = 0.003 for ages > 69 years), and the difference in performance stayed around 0.20 km/h, with a minimum of 0.17 at the oldest age. However, women were able to outperform men in specific situations: (i) in smaller buildings (<600 stairs), for ages between 30 and 59 years and >69 years; (ii) in higher buildings (>2200 stairs), for age groups <20 years and 60–69 years; and (iii) in buildings with 1600–2200 stairs, for ages >69 years. In summary, men were faster than women in this specific running discipline; however, women were able to outperform men in very specific situations (i.e., specific age groups and specific numbers of stairs).


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 390-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
SR Kandel ◽  
P Ghimire ◽  
BR Tiwari ◽  
M Rajkarnikar

Background: HIV and Hepatitis B infections are public health problems in Nepal. This study was conducted based at NRCS/CBTS, with the objective of determining the HIV and HBsAg sero-prevalence in non-remunerated volunteer blood donors. Materials and Methods: A total of 66,904 units of blood collected, following donor recruitment criteriaduring March 2009-Sept. 2010 was included for analysis. All donated blood samples were subjected to screening for Transfusion transmitted infections including HIV and Hepatitis B surface antigen using standard ELISA test kits (Dade Behring, Germany). Initial reactive sera were re-tested for reconfi rmation with same test kits plus another test kit (Detect-HIV, Adaltis Inc, and Qualisa). Results: Out of 66,904 units of blood collected, 56,973 units were from male and 9,931 were from female donors. Among the total screened samples, 73 (0.10%) were found to be positive for HIV, {0.11% (64/56973) in male and 0.09% (9/9931) in female}; the difference between male and female donors (?2<3.841) was statistically signifi cant. The seroprevalence of HIV was highest in age group of 30- 39 both in male and female (p<0.001). Similarly, for HBsAg, overall seroprevalence was found to be 0.47% (316/66904 {0.42% (242/56973) in male and 0.74% (74/9931) in female}. The difference was statistically signifi cant (?2<3.841). The highest HBsAg sero-prevalence(0.65%) was also observed in same age group i.e. 30-39 (p<0.001) in male but highest seroprevalence (2.63%) was observed inage group of ?50 in female. Conclusion: Both HIV and HBV sero-prevalence is high in adult voluntary blood donors. Journal of Pathology of Nepal (2013) Vol. 3, No.1, Issue 5, 390-393 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jpn.v3i5.7864


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (S1-May) ◽  
pp. 238-254
Author(s):  
Ali Erarslan

Metadiscourse is a tool for writers to guide and interact with readers through texts. Yet in most student texts, one of the points lacking is the interaction between writers and readers. In this study, frequency and type of interactive and interactional metadiscourse features were explored via students’ research-based essays based on Hyland’s metadiscourse taxonomy. Additionally, the students’ English Vocabulary Profile (EVP), lexical diversity, lexical density, and readability features of the texts in the corpus were scrutinized, which serve as an indicator of writing quality. Finally, the relationship of metadiscourse use with students’ writing performance, lexical diversity, lexical density, and readability was explored through statistical measures. Findings show that following explicit metadiscourse instruction, students’ research-based essays included more interactive metadiscourse than interactional metadiscourse, indicating that the students were dealing with more textual features, such as coherence, than interactional metadiscourse. Apart from findings regarding EVP such as lexical diversity, lexical density, and readability features, a positive relationship was explored between metadiscourse use and writing performance, lexical components, and textual features. It is concluded that metadiscourse should be integrated into the writing syllabus since it has a positive relationship with students’ use of academic vocabulary in their essays.


2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 382-387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamalakanth Shenoy ◽  
George Attokaran

ABSTRACT Background Selecting and replacing missing teeth to natural proportions and esthetic preference of a patient in the absence of pre-extraction records is a very challenging task. Although facial analysis and proportions are well discussed in many populations, none exists for the Thrissur, Kerala, population. A prosthodontic rehabilitation for Kerala patients relying on other racial norms may result in dissonant facial proportions. Therefore, the purpose of this study was (1) to evaluate the validity of innercanthal distance as a guide in determining the mesiodistal dimension of six maxillary anterior teeth in a selected Malayalee population in the Thrissur Municipal Corporation area; (2) to check whether innercanthal distance undergoes dynamic changes over time as a result of aging; and (3) to evaluate whether there is a gender difference in the analyzed mean facial and dental proportions in this population. Materials and methods The study was conducted on 1,200 subjects in the Thrissur Municipal Corporation area. From five wards, 240 subjects were selected, out of which 120 were from the 18 to 25 years age group and 120 from the 40 to 50 years age group. Sixty males and females were selected from each group. The innercanthal distance was measured using a Digital Vernier Caliper, and alginate impressions were made to evaluate the size of maxillary anteriors. The data was analyzed statistically. Results The study showed that there is a high statistical significance between the innercanthal distance and the mesiodistal width of six maxillary anterior teeth in females (p < 0.01) and no significance in males. There was also dynamic changes in the innercanthal dimension and the mesiodistal width of maxillary anteriors with increase in age (p < 0.001). The difference in the mean of innercanthal distance between the genders was highly statistically significant, but no significance was found between the genders in the mesiodistal width of maxillary anteriors. Conclusion Within the population evaluated, there was a high statistical significance in females between the innercanthal distance and the mesiodistal width of six maxillary anterior teeth, but not for males. Innercanthal dimension was found to undergo dynamic changes as age increases in both males and females, and it was much higher in males than in females. There was no statistical significance in the comparative evaluation of mesiodistal width of maxillary anteriors of males and females in the study. Clinical significance Teeth selection is a critical step in determining the outcome of successful prosthodontic treatment. No definite guidelines for the selection of maxillary anterior teeth pertaining to the Thrissur, Kerala, population exist. A prosthodontic rehabilitation of Thrissur, Kerala, patients relying on other racial norms will result in dissonant facial proportions. In selecting maxillary anterior teeth, the knowledge of racial norms will help specify certain esthetic and functional modifications in treatment plans, which might be specific to each group. Therefore, there remains an unquestionable need for a scientific and reliable method for maxillary anterior teeth selection, which can be applied on this group of Indian population. How to cite this article Attokaran G, Shenoy K. Correlation between Innercanthal Distance and Mesiodistal Width of Maxillary Anterior Teeth in a Thrissur, Kerala, India, Population. J Contemp Dent Pract 2016;17(5):382-387.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Pallavi Panchu ◽  
Biju Bahuleyan ◽  
Rose Babu ◽  
Vineetha Vijayan

Background: Adipose tissue mainly visceral fat is said to be harmful and acts as a harbinger of metabolic disorders. A changing trend is seen in the recent decades with decreasing incidence of metabolic disorders in men even though visceral fat is said to be higher in them. Sex hormones may influence the deposition pattern of adipose tissue. The aim of this study was to observe effects of age on visceral fat and to know if the difference in gender pattern of fat distribution is maintained throughout life or disappears after menopause.Methods: This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in Thrissur on 385 apparently healthy subjects using Omron body composition analyser. Data was analysed using SPSS 20.0 version. The tests employed were NOVA, independent samples t-test.Results: In each age group, men had significantly higher visceral fat than females. As age increased, visceral fat increased significantly in both genders. In each group, except for younger age groups, VF levels were equal in men and women.Conclusions: Visceral fat is higher in men and this difference is seen in all age groups. As age increases, visceral fat levels also increased in men and women. The distribution of visceral fat is such that a greater number of men have high to very high levels at a younger age group, a feature observed in women only in the peri and post-menopausal age. Adoption of an active lifestyle coupled with healthy diet should protect against onset of metabolic disorders.


2018 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 190-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Pereira Lima ◽  
Fabiana Damasceno Almeida ◽  
Tania Janaudis-Ferreira ◽  
Bianca Carmona ◽  
Giane Amorim Ribeiro-Samora ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine reference values for the six-minute pegboard and ring test (6PBRT) in healthy adults in Brazil, correlating the results with arm length, circumference of the upper arm/forearm of the dominant arm, and the level of physical activity. Methods: The participants (all volunteers) performed two 6PBRTs, 30 min apart. They were instructed to move as many rings as possible in six minutes. The best test result was selected for data analysis. Results: The sample comprised 104 individuals, all over 30 years of age. Reference values were reported by age bracket. We found that age correlated with 6PBRT results. The number of rings moved was higher in the 30- to 39-year age group than in the > 80-year age group (430.25 ± 77.00 vs. 265.00 ± 65.75), and the difference was significant (p < 0.05). The 6PBRT results showed a weak, positive correlation with the level of physical activity (r = 0.358; p < 0.05) but did not correlate significantly with any other variable studied. Conclusions: In this study, we were able to determine reference values for the 6PBRT in healthy adults in Brazil. There was a correlation between 6PBRT results and age.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 8-12
Author(s):  
T. Yu. Vladimirova ◽  
◽  
A. B. Martynova ◽  

The significance of asymmetric sensorineural hearing loss (ASNHL) is due to a special approach to diagnosis, followed by the process of hearing aids and auditory rehabilitation. Currently, there is no standard audiometric criterion for determining the forms of asymmetry, which significantly affects the assessment of the prevalence of ASNHL. The study aimed to assess the prevalence and classification of ASNHL forms in the older age group using two methods of calculation: 1) the difference in the average hearing threshold at speech frequencies (in the range of 0,5–4 kHz) ≥15 dB was detected in 14,14% of cases; 2) the different degree of hearing loss, according to the International classification, in the right and left ear was 35,98%. In most cases, asymmetry was manifested by bilateral sensorineural hearing loss of varying severity, prevailing in the group of long-livers – 82,6%. Given the potentially high prevalence of asymmetry depending on the audiological criterion, the results of the work are a reason for further research in the development of a unified method for verifying a clinically significant form of ASNHL.


Author(s):  
Adja Balbino de Amorim Barbieri Durão ◽  
Paulo Roberto Kloeppel

The article aims at proposing a hybrid model to evaluate language complexity of source and target texts written both in English and Portuguese so that one can analyse at what extent language complexity has been transferred from a text to its translation. In it, hybrid model points to paralleled approaches to lexical repetition, lexical diversity and lexical density, readability and word unusualness with the help of some Corpus Linguistics tools. It also stands for developing adjustments to Paul Nation’s word family lists and Gunning’s GFI formula so that they can be applied to Portuguese language. Aiming at checking the reliability of the model, the article also presents a case study based on contrastive investigations on “The Secret Garden” by Burnett and its translation into Portuguese “O Jardim Secreto” by Perota and Carvalho.


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