On the utility of alternative amino acid scripts

In this work we propose the hypothesis that replacing the current system of representing the chemical entities known as amino acids using Latin letters with one of several possible alternative symbolic representations will bring significant benefits to the human construction, modification, and analysis of multiple protein sequence alignments. We propose ways in which this might be done without prescribing the choice of actual scripts used. Specifically we propose and explore three ways to encode amino acid texts using novel symbolic alphabets free from precedents. Primary orthographic encoding is the direct substitution of a new alphabet for the standard, Latin-based amino acid code. Secondary encoding imposes static residue groupings onto the orthography of the alphabet by manipulating the shape and/or orientation of amino acid symbols. Tertiary encoding renders each residue as a composite symbol; each such symbol thus representing several alternative amino acid groupings simultaneously. We also propose that the use of a new group-focussed alphabet will free the colouring of amino acid residues often used as a tool to facilitate the representation or construction of multiple alignments for other purposes, possibly to indicate dynamic properties of an alignment such as position-wise residue conservation.

The neural correlates of reading impairment in adults with developmental dyslexia:evidence from fMRI between group analyses and an fMRI multiple-case study

The goal of this project was to investigate the neural correlates of reading impairment in dyslexia as hypothesised by the main theories – the phonological deficit, visual magnocellular deficit and cerebellar deficit theories, with emphasis on individual differences. This research took a novel approach by: 1) contrasting the predictions in one sample of participants with dyslexia (DPs); 2) using a multiple-case study (and between-group comparisons) to investigate differences in BOLD between each DP and the controls (CPs); 3) demonstrating a possible relationship between reading impairment and its hypothesised neural correlates by using fMRI and a reading task. The multiple-case study revealed that the neural correlates of reading in dyslexia in all cases are not in agreement with the predictions of a single theory. The results show striking individual differences - even, where the neural correlates of reading in two DPs are consistent with the same theory, the areas can differ. A DP can exhibit under-engagement in an area in word, but not in pseudoword reading and vice versa, demonstrating that underactivation in that area cannot be interpreted as a ‘developmental lesion’. Additional analyses revealed complex results. Within-group analyses between behavioural measures and BOLD showed correlations in the predicted regions, areas outside ROI, and lack of correlations in some predicted areas. Comparisons of subgroups which differed on Orthography Composite supported the MDT, but only for Words. The results suggest that phonological scores are not a sufficient predictor of the under-engagement of phonological areas during reading. DPs and CPs exhibited correlations between Purdue Pegboard Composite and BOLD in cerebellar areas only for Pseudowords. Future research into reading in dyslexia should use a more holistic approach, involving genetic and environmental factors, gene by environment interaction, and comorbidity with other disorders. It is argued that multidisciplinary research, within the multiple-deficit model holds significant promise here.

Politeness in computer-mediated discourse of a virtual team

Drawing on the newest findings of politeness research, this paper proposes an interactionally grounded approach to computer-mediated discourse (CMD). Through the analysis of naturally occurring text-based synchronous interactions of a virtual team the paper illustrates that the interactional politeness approach can account for linguistic phenomena not yet fully explored in computer-mediated discourse analysis. Strategies used for compensating for the lack of audio-visual information in computer-mediated communication, strategies to compensate for the technological constraints of the medium, and strategies to aid interaction management are examined from an interactional politeness viewpoint and compared to the previous findings of CMD analysis. The conclusion of this preliminary research suggests that the endeavour to communicate along the lines of politeness norms in a work-based virtual environment contradicts some of the previous findings of CMD research (unconventional orthography, capitalization, economizing), and that other areas (such as emoticons, backchannel signals and turn-taking strategies) need to be revisited and re-examined from an interactional perspective to fully understand how language functions in this merely text-based environment.

Costs and benefits of orthographic inconsistency in reading:evidence from a cross-linguistic comparison

We compared reading acquisition in English and Italian children up to late primary school analyzing RTs and errors as a function of various psycholinguistic variables and changes due to experience. Our results show that reading becomes progressively more reliant on larger processing units with age, but that this is modulated by consistency of the language. In English, an inconsistent orthography, reliance on larger units occurs earlier on and it is demonstrated by faster RTs, a stronger effect of lexical variables and lack of length effect (by fifth grade). However, not all English children are able to master this mode of processing yielding larger inter-individual variability. In Italian, a consistent orthography, reliance on larger units occurs later and it is less pronounced. This is demonstrated by larger length effects which remain significant even in older children and by larger effects of a global factor (related to speed of orthographic decoding) explaining changes of performance across ages. Our results show the importance of considering not only overall performance, but inter-individual variability and variability between conditions when interpreting cross-linguistic differences.

Посланието на патриарх Фотий до българския княз Борис-Михаил и неговият славянски превод

Статията разглежда славянския превод на Посланието на патриарх Фотий до българския княз Борис- Михаил, запазен само в руски преписи от началото на XVI до началото на XX в. Специално внимание се отделя на езика на славянския превод (правопис, морфосинтаксис, лексика и словообразуване), чрез който става възможно датирането на превода, тъй като липсват всякакви други (литературни, исторически, палеографски, кодикологични) сведения за това. Изследването на езика позволява пре- водът да се отнесе към книжовната продукция на XIV в. и по-точно към школата на Евтимий Търновски. Причината за появата на славянския превод на Фотиевия трактат трябва да се търси в основното послание на съчинението – запазване устоите на християнската вяра и въплъщаването й в държавното управление.

Renovando os sentidos: percepção e escrita etnográfica na etnomusicologia

MENDES, Jean Joubert Freitas. Renovando os sentidos: percepção e escrita etnográfica na etnomusicologia. In: ANPPOM, 17. Rio de Janeiro, 2005. Anais... Rio de Janeiro: UFRN/ANPPOM, 2005.

Reading comprehension of czech pupils at the beginning of primary school: comparison betweenanalytic-synthetic and genetic methods

In Czech schools two teaching methods of reading are used: the analytic-synthetic (conventional) and genetic (created in the 1990s). They differ in theoretical foundations and in methodology. The aim of this paper is to describe the above mentioned theoretical approaches and present the results of study that followed the differences in the development of initial reading skills between these methods. A total of 452 first grade children (age 6-8) were assessed by a battery of reading tests at the beginning and at the end of the first grade and at the beginning of the second grade. 350 pupils participated all three times. Based on data analysis the developmental dynamics of reading skills in both methods and the main differences in several aspects of reading abilities (e.g. the speed of reading, reading technique, error rate in reading) are described. The main focus is on the reading comprehension development. Results show that pupils instructed using genetic approach scored significantly better on used reading comprehension tests, especially in the first grade. Statistically significant differences occurred between classes independently of each method. Therefore, other factors such as teacher´s role and class composition are discussed.

Renovando os sentidos: percepção e escrita etnográfica na etnomusicologia

MENDES, Jean Joubert Freitas. Renovando os sentidos: percepção e escrita etnográfica na etnomusicologia. In: ANPPOM, 17. Rio de Janeiro, 2005. Anais... Rio de Janeiro: UFRN/ANPPOM, 2005.

CROSS-LINGUISTIC TRANSFER OF SPELLING SKILLS IN SPANISH-SPEAKING ADULT ESL LEARNERS

Spelling is an important literacy skill, and learning to spell is an important component of learning to write. Learners with strong spelling skills also exhibit greater reading, vocabulary, and orthographic knowledge than those with poor spelling skills (Ehri & Rosenthal, 2007; Ehri & Wilce, 1987; Rankin, Bruning, Timme, & Katkanant, 1993). English, being a deep orthography, has inconsistent sound-to-letter correspondences (Seymour, 2005; Ziegler & Goswami, 2005). This poses a great challenge for learners in gaining spelling fluency and accuracy. The purpose of the present study is to examine cross-linguistic transfer of English vowel spellings in Spanish-speaking adult ESL learners. The research participants were 129 Spanish-speaking adult ESL learners and 104 native English-speaking GED students enrolled in a community college located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. The adult ESL participants were in classes at three different levels of English proficiency: advanced, intermediate, and beginning. An experimental English spelling test was administered to both the native English-speaking and ESL participants. In addition, the adult ESL participants took the standardized spelling tests to rank their spelling skills in both English and Spanish. The data were analyzed using robust regression and Poisson regression procedures, Mann-Whitney test, and descriptive statistics. The study found that both Spanish spelling skills and English proficiency are strong predictors of English spelling skills. Spanish spelling is also a strong predictor of level of L1-influenced transfer. More proficient Spanish spellers made significantly fewer L1-influenced spelling errors than less proficient Spanish spellers. L1-influenced transfer of spelling knowledge from Spanish to English likely occurred in three vowel targets (/ɑɪ/ spelled as ae, ai, or ay, /ɑʊ/ spelled as au, and /eɪ/ spelled as e). The ESL participants and the native English-speaking participants produced highly similar error patterns of English vowel spellings when the errors did not indicate L1-influenced transfer, which implies that the two groups might follow similar trajectories of developing English spelling skills. The findings may help guide future researchers or practitioners to modify and develop instructional spelling intervention to meet the needs of adult ESL learners and help them gain English spelling competence.

Changing Road Signs in Israel: Production and Perception

In Palestine/Israel the struggle to control the land and the people is not merely conducted through physical violence. More subtle attempts for controlling the region and labeling it as belonging for one side rather than the other are implemented. This paper focuses on an Israeli suggestion to change the orthography of city names on road signs so that they are transliterations of the Hebrew name of the city. This one event, the Israeli suggestion to change city names on road signs, is represented to the public by two competing, and mostly opposing, discourses. This paper uses critical discourse analysis to analyze four articles, two of which are written by Arabic media sources, and the other two are written by Israeli ones. This analysis is paired with a quantitative and a qualitative analysis of the reactions of participants of different political affiliations to chosen excerpts of the articles. The paper aims at showing how one event is represented differently through different discourses, and how people who are affected be specific discourses react to them.

Tratamento didático do erro na produção escrita dos alunos do 1.º ciclo do ensino básico : um estudo de caso

Relatório de Estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Educação do Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco para cumprimento dos requisitos necessários à obtenção do grau de Mestre em Educação Pré-Escolar e Ensino do 1.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico.

Estratégias para aprender ortografia: O caso da regra contextual nasalização diante de p e b

Dissertação de Mestrado apresentada ao Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada para obtenção de grau de Mestre na especialidade de Psicologia Educacional.

Orthographic regularization in Early Modern English: Grapheme distribution and vowel length indication

The present study is an attempt at assessing the level of consistency in the orthographic systems of selected sixteenth and seventeenth-century printers and at tracing the influence that normative writings could have potentially exerted on them. The approach taken here draws upon the philological tradition of examining and comparing several texts written in the same language, but produced at different times. The study discusses the orthography of the editions of The Schoole of Vertue, a manual of good conduct for children, published between 1557 and 1687. The orthographic variables taken into account fall into two criteria: the distribution and functional load of the selected graphemes and the indication of vowel length.