Interindividual Variation in Self-perceived Oral Proficiency of English L2 Users

2007 ◽  
pp. 141-165
Author(s):  
Jean Marc Dewaele
Keyword(s):  
Oral Proficiency ◽  
Interindividual Variation

D'Arcy Wentworth Thompson, interindividual variation, and postnatal neuronal growth

2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 284-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry Elliott
Keyword(s):  
Brain Size ◽  
Interindividual Variation ◽  
Statistical Techniques ◽  
Neuronal Growth ◽  
Brain Part

It is suggested that a connection between neurogenesis and brain part size is unsurprising. It is argued that neurogenesis cannot, however, be the only factor contributing to brain size. Highly individual post-natal experience radically shapes individual brains, leading to dramatic increases in brain size. The role of comparatively coarse statistical techniques in addressing these subtle biological issues is questioned.

scholarly journals Sertraline concentrations in pregnant women are steady and the drug transfer to their infants is low

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Heinonen ◽  
M. Blennow ◽  
M. Blomdahl-Wetterholm ◽  
M. Hovstadius ◽  
J. Nasiell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cord Blood ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Relative Difference ◽  
Interindividual Variation ◽  
Therapeutic Drug ◽  
Cytochrome P450 Enzyme ◽  
Second Trimester ◽  
P450 Enzyme ◽  
Placental Passage

Abstract Purpose Sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), is one of the most commonly used antidepressant during pregnancy. Plasma sertraline concentrations vary markedly between individuals, partly explained by variability in hepatic drug metabolizing cytochrome P450-enzyme activity. Our purpose was to study the variability in the plasma concentrations in pregnant women and the passage to their infants. Method Pregnant women with moderate untreated depression were recruited in 2016–2019 in Stockholm Region and randomized to treatment with sertraline or placebo. All received Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy as non-medical treatment. Sertraline plasma concentrations were measured around pregnancy weeks 21 and 30, at delivery, 1-month postpartum, in cord blood and at 48 h of age in the infant. The clinical course of the infants was followed. Results Nine mothers and 7 infants were included in the analysis. Median dose-adjusted sertraline concentration in second trimester was 0.15(ng/mL) /(mg/day), in third trimester and at delivery 0.19 and 1-month postpartum 0.25, with a 67% relative difference between second trimester and postpartum. The interindividual variation was 10-fold. Median concentrations in the infants were 33% and 25% of their mothers’, measured in cord blood, and infant plasma, respectively. Only mild and transient adverse effects were seen on the infants. Conclusion Placental passage of sertraline to the infant is low. However, the interindividual variation in maternal concentrations during pregnancy is huge, why therapeutic drug monitoring might assist in finding the poor metabolizers at risk for adversity and increase the safety of the treatment. Trial registration The trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov July 9, 2014 with TRN: NCT02185547.

scholarly journals Caenorhabditis elegans Genes Affecting Interindividual Variation in Life-span Biomarker Gene Expression

2017 ◽  
Vol 72 (10) ◽  
pp. 1305-1310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Mendenhall ◽  
Matthew M Crane ◽  
Patricia M Tedesco ◽  
Thomas E Johnson ◽  
Roger Brent
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Life Span ◽  
Interindividual Variation

Assessing pragmatic competence in oral proficiency interviews at the C1 level with the new CEFR descriptors

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 87-121
Author(s):  
Bárbara Eizaga-Rebollar ◽  
Cristina Heras-Ramírez
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scales ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Oral Proficiency ◽  
Pragmatic Competence ◽  
Task Characteristics ◽  
The Common ◽  
Task Descriptions ◽  
Oral Proficiency Interviews ◽  
Task Types ◽  
And Task

AbstractThe study of pragmatic competence has gained increasing importance within second language assessment over the last three decades. However, its study in L2 language testing is still scarce. The aim of this paper is to research the extent to which pragmatic competence as defined by the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) has been accommodated in the task descriptions and rating scales of two of the most popular Oral Proficiency Interviews (OPIs) at a C1 level: Cambridge’s Certificate in Advanced English (CAE) and Trinity’s Integrated Skills in English (ISE) III. To carry out this research, OPI tests are first defined, highlighting their differences from L2 pragmatic tests. After pragmatic competence in the CEFR is examined, focusing on the updates in the new descriptors, CAE and ISE III formats, structure and task characteristics are compared, showing that, while the formats and some characteristics are found to differ, the structures and task types are comparable. Finally, we systematically analyse CEFR pragmatic competence in the task skills and rating scale descriptors of both OPIs. The findings show that the task descriptions incorporate mostly aspects of discourse and design competence. Additionally, we find that each OPI is seen to prioritise different aspects of pragmatic competence within their rating scale, with CAE focusing mostly on discourse competence and fluency, and ISE III on functional competence. Our study shows that the tests fail to fully accommodate all aspects of pragmatic competence in the task skills and rating scales, although the aspects they do incorporate follow the CEFR descriptors on pragmatic competence. It also reveals a mismatch between the task competences being tested and the rating scale. To conclude, some research lines are proposed.

scholarly journals Dissecting the midlife crisis: disentangling social, personality and demographic determinants in social brain anatomy

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Kiesow ◽  
Lucina Q. Uddin ◽  
Boris C. Bernhardt ◽  
Joseph Kable ◽  
Danilo Bzdok
Keyword(s):  
Brain Regions ◽  
Interindividual Variation ◽  
Brain Morphology ◽  
Brain Anatomy ◽  
Leadership Roles ◽  
Social Brain ◽  
Aging Parents ◽  
Health Satisfaction ◽  
Midlife Transitions ◽  
Fully Bayesian

AbstractIn any stage of life, humans crave connection with other people. In midlife, transitions in social networks can relate to new leadership roles at work or becoming a caregiver for aging parents. Previous neuroimaging studies have pinpointed the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to undergo structural remodelling during midlife. Social behavior, personality predisposition, and demographic profile all have intimate links to the mPFC according in largely disconnected literatures. Here, we explicitly estimated their unique associations with brain structure using a fully Bayesian framework. We weighed against each other a rich collection of 40 UK Biobank traits with their interindividual variation in social brain morphology in ~10,000 middle-aged participants. Household size and daily routines showed several of the largest effects in explaining variation in social brain regions. We also revealed male-biased effects in the dorsal mPFC and amygdala for job income, and a female-biased effect in the ventral mPFC for health satisfaction.

scholarly journals Impact of the gut microbiome on the atorvastatin-dependent modulation of the serum lipidome

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (Supplement_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J Roessler ◽  
F Zimmermann ◽  
D Schmidt ◽  
U Escher ◽  
A Jasina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Relative Abundance ◽  
Gut Microbiome ◽  
Interindividual Variation ◽  
Funding Source ◽  
Microbial Composition ◽  
Atorvastatin Treatment ◽  
Qrt Pcr ◽  
16S Rna ◽  
Regulatory Properties

Abstract Background and aims The modulation of serum lipids, in particular of the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), by statins varies between individuals. The mechanisms regulating this interindividual variation are only poorly understood. Here, we investigated the relation between the gut microbiome and the regulatory properties of atorvastatin on the serum lipidome using mice with depleted gut microbiome. Methods Over a period of 6 weeks, mice (C57BL/6) with either an intact (conventional mice, CONV, n=24) or antibiotic-based depleted gut microbiome (antibiotic treated mice, ABS, n=16) were put on standard chow diet (SCD) or high fat diet (HFD), respectively. During the last 4 weeks of treatment atorvastatin (Ator, 10mg/kg body weight/day) or control vehicle was administered via daily oral gavage. Blood lipids (total cholesterol, VLDL, LDL-C, HDL-C) and serum sphingolipids were compared among the groups. The expressions of hepatic and intestinal genes involved in cholesterol metabolism were analyzed by qRT-PCR. Alterations in the gut microbiota profile of mice with intact gut microbiome were examined using 16S RNA qRT-PCR. Results In CONV mice, HFD led to significantly increased blood LDL-C levels as compared with SCD (HFD: 36.8±1.4 mg/dl vs. SCD: 22.0±1.8 mg/dl; P<0.01). In CONV mice atorvastatin treatment significantly reduced blood LDL-C levels after HFD, whereas in ABS mice the LDL-C lowering effect of atorvastatin was markedly attenuated (CONV+HFD+Ator: 31.0±1.8 mg/dl vs. ABS+HFD+Ator: 46.4±3 mg/dl; P<0.01). A significant reduction in the abundance of several plasma lipids, in particular sphingolipids and glycerophospholipids upon atorvastatin treatment was observed in CONV mice, but not in ABS mice. The expressions of distinct hepatic and intestinal cholesterol-regulating genes (ldlr, srebp2, pcsk9 and npc1l1) upon atorvastatin treatment were significantly altered in gut microbiota depleted mice. In response to HFD a decrease in the relative abundance of the bacterial phyla Bacteroides and an increase in the relative abundance of Firmicutes was observed. The altered ratio between Bacteroides and Firmicutes in HFD fed mice was partly reversed upon atorvastatin treatment. Conclusions Our findings indicate a crucial role of the gut microbiome for the regulatory properties of atorvastatin on the serum lipidome and, in turn, support a critical impact of atorvastatin on the gut microbial composition. The results provide novel insights into potential microbiota related mechanisms underlying interindividual variation in modulation of the serum lipidome by statins, given interindividual differences in microbiome composition and function. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding source: Foundation. Main funding source(s): German Heart Research Foundation

The Development and Validation of a Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview

1992 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 129-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHARLES W. STANSFIELD ◽  
DORRY MANN KENYON
Keyword(s):  
Oral Proficiency ◽  
Oral Proficiency Interview ◽  
Development And Validation

scholarly journals Changes in Incisor Third-Order Inclination Resulting from Vertical Variation in Lingual Bracket Placement

2009 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 747-754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Knösel ◽  
Klaus Jung ◽  
Liliam Gripp-Rudolph ◽  
Thomas Attin ◽  
Rengin Attin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Null Hypothesis ◽  
Interindividual Variation ◽  
Occlusal Plane ◽  
Third Order ◽  
Vertical Variation ◽  
Independent Variables ◽  
The Third ◽  
Dependent Variables ◽  
Incisor Inclination ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective: To test the null hypothesis that third-order measurements are not correlated to lingual incisor features seen on radiographs. Material and Methods: The lateral headfilms of 38 untreated, norm-occlusion subjects without incisor abrasions or restorations were used for third-order measurements of upper and lower central incisors and assessment of the inclination of four sites suitable for lingual bracket placement with reference to the occlusal plane perpendicular. Lingual sections were determined by the tangents at the incisal fossa (S1), at the transition plateau between incisal fossa and the cingulum (S2), by a constructed line reaching from the incisal tip to the cingulum (S3), and by a tangent at the cingulum convexity (S4). Third-order angles were also assessed on corresponding dental casts using an incisor inclination gauge. Regression analysis was performed using the third-order measurements of both methods as the dependent variables and the inclination of the lingual enamel sections (S1, S2, S3, S4) as the independent variables. Results: The null hypothesis was rejected. For the most common bracket application sites located on the lingual shovel (S1 and S2), third-order inclination changes of 0.4–0.7 degrees are expected for each degree of change in the inclination of the lingual surface. The impact of bracket placement errors on third-order angulation is similar between sections S1 and S2 and the cingulum convexity (S4). Section S3 proved to be least affected by interindividual variation. Conclusion: The third-order measurements are correlated to lingual incisor features. Accordingly, third-order changes resulting from variation in lingual bracket placement can be individually predicted from radiographic assessments.

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