WH-Constructions in Cape Verdean Creole

This dissertation concerns two types of wh-constructions – interrogative and relative clauses – of Cape Verdean Creole (CVC), a Portuguese-based Creole language spoken on the archipelago of Cape Verde, specifically the variety spoken on Santiago Island, in the coast of West Africa. Chapter 2 focus on some aspects of the syntax of CVC, claiming that the possibilities of S-V inversion are very limited and that verbs stay in Vº, except for the Present tense form of the copula verb e ‘to be’, which is the spell out of the formal feature [Present] of T. It is proposed that CVC exhibits a clause functional structure that is similar to English: [CP [TP [NegP [AspP [VP … ]]]]]. In this chapter, it is also suggested that a non Split-CP, based on the formal features [±D, ±V, ±Q, ±Wh, ±T], correctly accounts for the distribution of the complementizers in CVC. Chapter 3 presents the wh-question formation strategies exhibited by CVC, showing that some of them involve Move, while others do not. Considering CVC data, it is said that the language has two clausal typing processes: an ambiguous complementizer ki ([±Q, ±Wh]), whose checking domain is strictly local; and an unambiguous complementizer Ø ([+Q, +Wh]), whose checking domain is not strictly local. The first one derives fronted wh-questions and the second one accounts for wh-in- -situ. Chapter 4 describes the relativization strategies displayed by CVC, focusing on the fact that PP pied-piping is ruled out and that resumption is possible both inside and outside syntactic islands. It is suggested a revision of Bianchi’s (2002a) head raising analysis for the structure of relative clauses. Chapter 5 discusses the properties of the defective copy strategy ([wh[+PL] … el]) and presents evidence in favor of a distinction between this type of wh-strategy and resumption ([wh[+PL] … es]). It is argued that the language requires an overt pronominal form (3SG) to occur in the complement position of the preposition because CVC types the clause with a complementizer ki [uCat +D] and does not allow for preposition incorporation. The set of formal features of the lower copy is ‘shrinked’, i.e. the features are deleted but not erased, being accessible to PF. This analysis of the defective copy xiv strategy predicts that it only applies to PPs and that it is an autonomous process involving wh-movement, which is distinct from resumption.

Proteinaceous infectious behavior in non-pathogenic proteins is controlled by molecular chaperones.

External stresses or mutations may cause labile proteins to lose their distinct native conformations and seek alternatively stable aggregated forms. Molecular chaperones that specifically act on protein aggregates were used here as a tool to address the biochemical nature of stable homo- and hetero-aggregates from non-pathogenic proteins formed by heat-stress. Confirmed by sedimentation and activity measurements, chaperones demonstrated that a single polypeptide chain can form different species of aggregates, depending on the denaturing conditions. Indicative of a cascade reaction, sub-stoichiometric amounts of one fast-aggregating protein strongly accelerated the conversion of another soluble, slow-aggregating protein into insoluble, chaperone-resistant aggregates. Chaperones strongly inhibited seed-induced protein aggregation, suggesting that they can prevent and cure proteinaceous infectious behavior in homo- and hetero-aggregates from common and disease-associated proteins in the cell.

Is thinness more prevalent than obesity in Portuguese adolescents?

There is little information regarding the prevalence of thinness in European adolescents. This was assessed in a convenience sample of children and adolescents from the Lisbon area (Portugal). Cross-sectional study including 2494 boys and 2519 girls aged 10-18 years. Body mass index (BMI), waist and hip were measured using standardized methods; thinness was defined using international criteria. Body fat was assessed by bioelectrical impedance. In girls, prevalence of thinness, overweight and obesity were 5.6%, 19.7% and 4.7%, respectively, whereas the corresponding numbers in boys were 3.9%, 17.4% and 5.3%. Prevalence of thinness increased whereas obesity decreased with age: from 1.5% to 7.6% for thinness and from 9.2% to 3.8% for obesity in girls aged 10 and 18, respectively. In boys, the corresponding trends were from 0% to 7.3% for thinness and from 10.6% to 3% for obesity. After adjusting for age, differences were found between BMI groups for weight, body fat percentage, fat mass, lean mass, waist and hip, while no differences regarding height were found between thin and normal weight participants. The prevalence of thinness is more frequent than obesity after age 14 in girls and 16 years in boys. Thinness is associated with a decreased body weight and body fat, whereas no consistent effect on height was noted.

Promoção da língua portuguesa no mundo : hipótese de modelo estratégico

De successifs Gouvernements du Portugal, Organisations du Gouvernement Portugais et ses représentants légitimes, non mal de fois, s’affolent à associer la Langue Portugaise non seulement à l’identité Nationale mais aussi comme un moyen de reconnaissance internationale du pays, liée à une vision plus élargie reliée au concept géolinguistique et géopolitique de Lusophonie. Un concept particulièrement important et opératif qu’il est assimilé à l’image d’autres langues de présence globale ou, du moins, comme des langues de communication international intercontinental – comme les pays Anglophones, Spanophones et Francophones -. Le but, est celui de promouvoir l’usage international de la langue portugaise aussi que le développement économique et social des huit pays rassemblés à la Communauté des Pays de Langue Portugaise (CPLP). Cette étude, essaye de trouver les relations entre le discours officiel diffusé et les programmes de chaque Gouvernement depuis 1974. Une recherche sur la promotion, diffusion et/ou défense de la langue portugaise soit en temps que PLE (Portugais Langue Étrangère), soit en temps que dans le domaine de l’usage de la Langue Portugaise dans les différents Forums Internationaux dont le Portugal et les autres pays de langue portugaise font partie. Les discours et les documents officiels nous présentent toujours la promotion et diffusion de la langue comme une priorité, un impératif national, il est donc aussi impératif de confronter tous ces mots, dits et écrits, avec la réalité de l’action politique, voir, la politique de la langue effectivement mise en place, par les successifs gouvernements.

O Erro, uma Análise Necessária: sua Implicação no Ensino da Língua Portuguesa em Cabo Verde

O trabalho de investigação que ora se apresenta entronca nas preocupações do dia a dia enquanto profissional e dirigente da educação que tem experimentado e acompanhado de perto a prática pedagógica e docente. Por esses imperativos, senti-me na obrigação de procurar uma resposta, refletir sobre as dificuldades do ensino da língua portuguesa e perceber melhor esses obstáculos, nomeadamente o erro linguístico nas práticas letivas, as causas subjacentes e, eventualmente, a quota-parte de responsabilidades dos outros intervenientes no processo, nomeadamente, dos professores de língua portuguesa e do próprio sistema. Nesta sequência, o presente estudo aborda o erro como conceito, marcado pela polissemia da sua definição, abordado pelas múltiplas metodologias de ensino, mas também como elemento central no ensino e aprendizagem de uma língua segunda, no ensino básico, em contextos de coabitação de línguas muito próximas como o português e a língua cabo-verdiana; pretendemos também elencar os procedimentos e atitudes dos atores no processo, bem como os meios didático-pedagógicos essenciais com vista a sua deteção, análise e tratamento do mesmo. A aprendizagem de uma língua segunda como o português, num contexto como o de Cabo Verde, constitui uma tarefa complexa e por vezes demorada, que não pode ser resumida a atos corriqueiros e previsíveis de sala de aula, ignorando as necessidades, disposições e interesses dos aprendentes que são colocados perante uma encruzilhada, o de aprender uma língua que não é sua, mas que não pode recusar. A aparente aproximação entre as duas línguas constitui um obstáculo acrescido, por propiciar a interferência, principal causa do erro, apesar do avanço verificado no desenvolvimento de metodologias e materiais de apoio que auxiliam e tornam mais eficiente o processo de aquisição de uma língua segunda. Para operacionalização do assunto foi elaborado um estudo com recurso à análise de erros, em quarenta e um (41) textos produzidos por alunos do 6.º ano de escolaridade de cinco escolas do ensino básico do Tarrafal, Cabo Verde, com o intuito de recolher informações, analisá-las e, após uma reflexão sobre os resultados, concluir sobre as suas implicações no ensino aprendizagem da língua portuguesa.

Promoção da língua portuguesa no mundo : hipótese de modelo estratégico

Sucessivos Governos, Organizações Governamentais e responsáveis desses Governos e Organizações têm apresentado até ao presente e de forma veemente e repetida uma sistemática ligação da língua portuguesa não só à identidade nacional como também a uma forma de reconhecimento internacional ligada a uma visão mais ampla, geolinguística e geopolítica de uma Lusofonia, capaz de agir de forma concertada conforme ao exemplo de outros blocos político-linguísticos, como o Francófono, o Espanófono ou o Anglófono, por forma a promover o uso alargado da língua portuguesa como língua internacional e o desenvolvimento económico e social dos países membros da Comunidade de Países de Língua Portuguesa (CPLP). Este trabalho é um estudo sobre a indissociável relação entre as reiteradas afirmações constantes no discurso oficial e nos documentos legais que as suportam no que respeita à promoção e difusão do uso da Língua Portuguesa quer como Língua Estrangeira (PLE), quer na promoção do seu uso nas Organizações Internacionais de que Portugal, os Países de Língua Portuguesa ou de Língua Oficial Portuguesa fazem parte. Este discurso oficial sobre a língua e a documentação legal que a suporta, que surge sempre apresentado como uma prioridade política e como desígnio nacional, impõe a necessária confrontação entre a afirmação daqueles propósitos e a realidade da política de língua implementada de facto, ou seja, a forma como esse desígnio nacional é levado à prática pelo Estado e, logo, pelos governantes que agem em seu nome e definem esta política de língua externa ao longo de um período de cerca de 30 anos de democracia em que este estudo se centra.

Identidad nacional, lengua y escuela = National identity, language and school

La globalización cuestiona la existencia de una relación mimética entre ciudadanía y Estado-nación. Las identidades homogéneas, sustentadas ideológicamente en nociones como «lengua nacional», plantean problemas en sociedades en las que ha crecido espectacularmente la diversidad lingüística e identitaria. Cataluña es un territorio en el que una parte de la población afirma una identidad catalana distinta a la española y viceversa. Además, se ha teorizado que la identidad catalana y la lengua catalana coexisten mutuamente. Por eso, se suceden voces que defienden la presencia del catalán en la educación escolar como fuente de la identidad nacional catalana, mientras que otras voces defienden su presencia simplemente como una buena manera de aprender el catalán cuando no se puede aprender en el medio social y familiar. En los últimos años, Cataluña ha recibido casi un millón de personas extranjeras que han modificado notablemente su situación sociolingüística. Las últimas encuestas manifiestan que un 6,3% de la población utiliza habitualmente una lengua distinta del catalán y del castellano. En este marco, mostramos las construcciones identitarias de un grupo de adolescentes de origen extranjero que están en el segundo ciclo de la ESO. Los datos fueron recogidos mediante dos grupos de discusión de seis-siete estudiantes de distinto origen, lengua propia y tiempo de residencia en Cataluña. Los resultados muestran la importancia del lugar de origen en la construcción de la identidad. Además, los participantes que afirman sentimientos catalanes o españoles no los relacionan con la lengua sino con los intercambios sociales que han establecido con sus iguales de origen naciona. Las intervenciones muestran también las dificultades para promover identidades múltiples desde el contexto escolar que eviten actitudes racistas y xenófobas y sirvan para promover proyectos colectivos de futuro en los que se pueda vivir desde una cierta diferencia

INTERMED predicts non-return to work in an occupational rehabilitation setting for individuals with orthopaedic trauma-Part I

Introduction.- Knowledge of predictors of an unfavourable outcome, e.g. non-return to work after an injury enables to identify patients at risk and to target interventions for modifiable predictors. It has been recently shown that INTERMED; a tool to measure biopsychosocial complexity in four domains (biologic, psychologic, social and care, with a score between 0-60 points) can be useful in this context. The aim of this study was to set up a predictive model for non-return to work using INTERMED in patients in vocational rehabilitation after orthopaedic injury.Patients and methods.- In this longitudinal prospective study, the cohort consisted of 2156 consecutively included inpatients with orthopaedic trauma attending a rehabilitation hospital after a work, traffic or sport related injury. Two years after discharge, a questionnaire regarding return to work was sent (1502 returned their questionnaires). In addition to INTERMED, 18 predictors known at baseline of the rehabilitation were selected based on previous research. A multivariable logistic regression was performed.Results.- In the multivariate model, not-returning to work at 2 years was significantly predicted by the INTERMED: odds-ratio (OR) 1.08 (95% confidence interval, CI [1.06; 1.11]) for a one point increase in scale; by qualified work-status before the injury OR = 0.74, CI (0.54; 0.99), by using French as preferred language OR = 0.60, CI (0.45; 0.80), by upper-extremity injury OR = 1.37, CI (1.03; 1.81), by higher education (> 9 years) OR = 0.74, CI (0.55; 1.00), and by a 10 year increase in age OR = 1.15, CI (1.02; 1.29). The area under the receiver-operator-characteristics curve (ROC)-curve was 0.733 for the full model (INTERMED plus 18 variables).Discussion.- These results confirm that the total score of the INTERMED is a significant predictor for return to work. The full model with 18 predictors combined with the total score of INTERMED has good predictive value. However, the number of variables (19) to measure is high for the use as screening tool in a clinic.

Adult native septic arthritis: 10 years in review in order to establish local guidelines on empiric antibiotic therapy.

Objective: Antibiotic stewardship includes development of practice guidelines incorporating local microbiology and resistance patterns. In case of septic arthritis (SA), addition of vancomycin to the empiric therapy and broad-spectrum antibiotherapy in some clinical settings are subjects of discussion. Our objective was to review the local epidemiology of native septic arthritis in adults, in order to establish local guidelines for empiric therapy. Methods: Retrospective study based on positive synovial fluid cultures and hospital discharge diagnoses of SA obtained from 1999 to 2008 in patients _16 years. Medical records were reviewed to assess the diagnosis and complete relevant clinical information. Results: During this ten-year period, we identified 233 SA on native joints in 231 patients. 107 episodes (46%) were obtained through positive synovial fluid cultures, and 126 episodes (54%) through the discharge diagnosis. 147 SA (63%) were large joint infections (LJI). 35 SA (15%) occurred in intravenous drug users. Preexisting arthropathy was present in 51% of cases. 42% of patients with small joint infection (SJI) were diabetic, vs. 23% with LJI (p = 0.003). When available, synovial fluid direct examination was positive in 35% of cases. Etiologic agents are reported in the table. Five of the 11 MRSA SA (45%) occurred in known carriers. SJI were more frequently polymicrobial (24% vs. 1%, p<0.001). For LJI, an empiric treatment with amoxicillin/clavulanate (A/C) would have been appropriate in 85% of cases. MRSA (8 cases) and tuberculous (7 cases) arthritis would have been the most frequently untreated pathogens. Addition of vancomycin to A/C in MRSA carriers would rise the adequacy to 87%. In contrast, A/C would cover only 75% of SJI (82% if restricted to non-diabetic patients). MRSA (3 cases) and P. aeruginosa (9 cases, 7 monomicrobial) would be the main untreated pathogens. An anti-pseudomonal penicillin would have been appropriate in 94% of cases of SJI (P = 0.002 vs. A/C, p = 0.19 if diabetic patients not included). Conclusions: Treatment with A/C seems adequate for empiric coverage of LJI in our setting. Broad-spectrum antibiotherapy was significantly superior for SJI in diabetic patients, due to different causative bacteria. In an area of low MRSA incidence, our results do not justify a systematic empiric therapy for MRSA, which should be considered in a known carrier.

Clinical and molecular characterization of Diastrophic Dysplasia in the Portuguese population.

SLC26A2-related dysplasias encompass a spectrum of diseases: from lethal achondrogenesis type 1B (ACG1B; MIM #600972) and atelosteogenesis type 2 (AO2; MIM #256050) to classical diastrophic dysplasia (cDTD; MIM #222600) and recessive multiple epiphyseal dysplasia (rMED; MIM #226900). This study aimed at characterizing clinically, radiologically and molecularly 14 patients affected by non-lethal SLC26A2-related dysplasias and at evaluating genotype-phenotype correlation. Phenotypically, eight patients were classified as cDTD, four patients as rMED and two patients had an intermediate phenotype (mild DTD - mDTD, previously 'DTD variant'). The Arg279Trp mutation was present in all patients, either in homozygosity (resulting in rMED) or in compound heterozygosity with the known severe alleles Arg178Ter or Asn425Asp (resulting in DTD) or with the mutation c.727-1G>C (causing mDTD). The 'Finnish mutation', c.-26+2T>C, and the p.Cys653Ser, both frequent mutations in non-Portuguese populations, were not identified in any of the patients of our cohort and are probably very rare in the Portuguese population. A targeted mutation analysis for p.Arg279Trp and p.Arg178Ter in the Portuguese population allows the identification of approximately 90% of the pathogenic alleles.

ESCMID* guideline for the diagnosis and management of Candida diseases 2012: non-neutropenic adult patients.

This part of the EFISG guidelines focuses on non-neutropenic adult patients. Only a few of the numerous recommendations can be summarized in the abstract. Prophylactic usage of fluconazole is supported in patients with recent abdominal surgery and recurrent gastrointestinal perforations or anastomotic leakages. Candida isolation from respiratory secretions alone should never prompt treatment. For the targeted initial treatment of candidaemia, echinocandins are strongly recommended while liposomal amphotericin B and voriconazole are supported with moderate, and fluconazole with marginal strength. Treatment duration for candidaemia should be a minimum of 14 days after the end of candidaemia, which can be determined by one blood culture per day until negativity. Switching to oral treatment after 10 days of intravenous therapy has been safe in stable patients with susceptible Candida species. In candidaemia, removal of indwelling catheters is strongly recommended. If catheters cannot be removed, lipid-based amphotericin B or echinocandins should be preferred over azoles. Transoesophageal echocardiography and fundoscopy should be performed to detect organ involvement. Native valve endocarditis requires surgery within a week, while in prosthetic valve endocarditis, earlier surgery may be beneficial. The antifungal regimen of choice is liposomal amphotericin B +/- flucytosine. In ocular candidiasis, liposomal amphotericin B +/- flucytosine is recommended when the susceptibility of the isolate is unknown, and in susceptible isolates, fluconazole and voriconazole are alternatives. Amphotericin B deoxycholate is not recommended for any indication due to severe side effects.

Single cell analysis reveals similar functional competence of dominant and non-dominant CD8 T-cell clonotypes

The properties of CD8 T-cells requiredfor protection from infectiousdisease and cancer are only partiallycharacterized, and only limited data isavailable regarding T-cell clonotypes.It has been proposed that dominantT-cell clonotypes may have higherprotective potential than their nondominantcounterparts. Our objectiveswere to assess memory andeffector functions, stage of differentiationand clonotype selection of tumor-reactive T lymphocytes followingpeptide vaccination in melanomapatients.We also characterized dominantversus non-dominant clonotypesto further understand the in vivo functionof these T-cells based on theirprevalence. Using a novel single-cellapproach for simultaneous ex vivomolecular and functional analysis, wereport the preferential selection andexpansion of several tumor-specificco-dominant clonotypes of intermediateto high frequencies, irrespectiveof whether native or analog peptidewas used for vaccination. Theseclonotypes made up 40 - 95% of thedifferentiated "effector-like" T-cells,but only 25% of the less-differentiated"effector-memory" cells. Bothsubsets also contained non-dominantT-cell clonotypes, but these were significantlymore frequent in the lessdifferentiatedcells. Thus, cell differentiationwas clonotype-dependent.Surprisingly however, the acquisitionof memory and effector T-cell propertieswas clonotype independent, as wefound similar functional profiles indominant and low/ non-dominantT-cell clonotypes. In contrast to analogpeptide vaccination, native peptidevaccination induced T-cell functionsthat were more comprehensive,with more pronounced effector functionscombined with memory cellproperties. In summary, this study revealsthat T-cell functions are determinedprimarily by the antigen andthe stage of T-cell differentiation, butare similar in dominant and non-dominantclonotypes participating in aCD8 T-cell response. The identifiedclonotypic basis of T-cell responsescontributes to the rational developmentof vaccines.

Long-distance wolf recolonization of France and Switzerland inferred from non-invasive genetic sampling over a period of 10 years

In the early 1900s, the wolf (Canis lupus) was extirpated from France and Switzerland. There is growing evidence that the species is presently recolonizing these countries in the western Alps. By sequencing the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of various samples mainly collected in the field (scats, hairs, regurgitates, blood or tissue; n = 292), we could (1) develop a non-invasive method enabling the unambiguous attribution of these samples to wolf, fox (Vulpes vulpes) or dog (Canis familiaris), among others; (2) demonstrate that Italian, French and Swiss wolves share the same mtDNA haplotype, a haplotype that has never been found in any other wolf population world-wide. Combined together, field and genetic data collected over 10 years corroborate the scenario of a natural expansion of wolves from the Italian source population. Furthermore, such a genetic approach is of conservation significance, since it has important consequences for management decisions. This first long-term report using non-invasive sampling demonstrates that long-distance dispersers are common, supporting the hypothesis that individuals may often attempt to colonize far from their native pack, even in the absence of suitable corridors across habitats characterized by intense human activities.

Browsing a component library using Non-functional Information

This paper highlights the role of non-functional information when reusing from a component library. We describe a method for selecting appropriate implementations of Ada packages taking non-functional constraints into account; these constraints model the context of reuse. Constraints take the form of queries using an interface description language called NoFun, which is also used to state non-functional information in Ada packages; query results are trees of implementations, following the import relationships between components. We define two different situations when reusing components, depending whether we take the library being searched as closed or extendible. The resulting tree of implementations can be manipulated by the user to solve ambiguities, to state default behaviours, and by the like. As part of the proposal, we face the problem of computing from code the non-functional information that determines the selection process.